Bloodbirds
by sangheilitat117
Summary: "Here's to love, the sickness, the great martyr of the soul. Here's to life, the vice, the great herald of misery." Falling snow, bloodbirds, and a desolation song. How Ruby Rose lost her right arm. And how it only brought her and Weiss Schnee closer together in the end. Rated M for graphic violence and swearing.
1. Falling Snow

**For optimal reading, open up a Youtube tab and list****en to "Falling Snow" by Agalloch. The words are in bold italics are the lyrics to the song.**_**  
**_

* * *

_**The water pours its embracing arms 'round the stone.  
Decay drips from the unquiet void.**_

Chunks of ice drifted slowly down a river of purest clarity, swirling around and bobbing in the freezing water.

Weiss Schnee, huntress and former heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, stood on a frozen riverbank and stared into it, observing how the water flowed and molded itself around the stones that supported it.

"Weiss, come on, we're not gonna find anything by just staring at this river."

The heiress snapped her head up, as if Ruby's voice had shaken her from a trance. Her breath misted the air in front of her. She was wearing a white storm-coat and a pair of white pants, brown boots the only break in her monochromatic ensemble. Her rapier, Myrtenaster, hung from her thigh. Her ponytail of long, alabaster hair was off-center as usual, but she no longer wore the tiara.

"Oh. Yes, I suppose you're right. I just..." Weiss was going to continue, but she second-guessed herself and decided on saying nothing at all.

Ruby was standing a ways away from her, wearing a grey trench-coat over her usual outfit, on a small snow-covered hill. Crescent Rose was in its compact form, slung over her back like a hunting rifle. The vantage point allowed her to get a slightly better view into the ivory forest that surrounded them. The achromatic woodland was covered in immaculate alabaster snow, freshly fallen. No one had disturbed it. No one probably ever would, few ever trod this far to the north of Vale.

The two huntresses were deep in the Tural mountain range, a stretch of evergreen-covered mountain peaks that was vast almost beyond comprehension. The Turals reached over an expanse of almost a thousand miles, and the majority of it was still unmapped and unexplored. The mountain range began near the northern reaches of Remnant, and stretched all the way to the oceans at the end of the world. Only a few of the explorers who had dared to travel that far had ever made it back. The ones that did described abyssal chasms, cyclopean vistas and gargantuan mountain peaks piercing the sky. A landscape of dead, forgotten gods.

The two huntresses had been paid quite handsomely to investigate the disappearance of an expedition into the Turals. Normally a regular search party would have been sent, but the groups last communications had mentioned reports of Grimm sightings, and the very last transmission had stated that they were being surrounded and cut off by packs of Beowolves. And so, a group of promising young huntresses were sent instead. Not that they were seen as a cheap way to find out what went wrong, Ruby and Weiss had graduated as the top team in their class, and as such were highly sought after, and well paid.

But still, it was wintertime in Vale, and people rarely left their homes. Thus, work was slow and hard to come by. So when a well-known investment company had come to them seeking their services to track down a missing expedition in the Tural mountains, they had accepted. They needed something to put food on the table; Weiss was no longer able to access the Schnee family fortune. Her father had seen to that, after her relationship with Ruby unintentionally went public, and the Schnee family had found another heir in the form of a newborn baby boy. Shortly after, Weiss had been discarded like so much useless baggage. Not that it bothered her much anymore. She was as happy as she could be, content to live out her days as a huntress, with her Ruby Rose by her side.

Weiss picked herself up from the riverbank and turned around to face Ruby, only to see rose petals drifting slowly to the ground she had just stood upon.

Before she could call out for her partner, there was another flurry of petals directly in front of her, and Ruby materialized with a wide smile on her face, hands clasped behind her back. Only a few inches separated Weiss' face from Ruby's.

Weiss jerked back in surprise. "R-Ruby! You dolt, don't scare me like tha-mmph!"

Before she could finish, Ruby leaned forward and caught the ex-heiress' lips with her own. Weiss' eyelids fluttered closed, but before she could start to enjoy the kiss, Ruby pulled out of it, a mischievous smile on her face. She had grown since they met, Ruby was now much taller than Weiss, and had to lean down to kiss her. Much to Weiss' chagrin, that in turn meant that the white-haired girl had to stand on her toes to kiss her girlfriend. Ruby never let her hear the end of it.

Ruby had matured in other ways too, emotionally as well as physically. But even so, she was still the same little girl at heart. The same little girl whom Weiss found adorable beyond measure.

Weiss was left flustered and red-cheeked as she struggled to catch her breath. She turned away to try and hide her blush, the frigid air made it bad enough already.

"Hey, you were gonna say something else a minute ago?" Ruby said. "What was it?"

"Oh... it's nothing, I assure you."

"It's always something with you. C'mon, just tell me."

"If you insist... I was just going to say that, well, I have a bad feeling about this." She gestured to the area around them as she talked.

"What, this forest?"

"No I mean... I mean this whole mission. Something feels off. The landscape seems unquiet."

"The landscape seems "unquiet?" I always knew you had a thing for nature Weiss, but that seems a little crazy."

"Fine, don't believe me. Just don't blame me if something ends up going wrong."

"Nothing will go wrong Weiss," Ruby said with a happy smile. "I've got your back and you've got mine, right?"

Weiss found herself smiling in return. "Always. Alright, lets keep moving then. This map says the expeditions last known report was near here."

"Right behind you princess," Ruby said with a smirk.

"I told you to stop calling me that!"

* * *

_**Where the ice forms. Where life ends. **_

"Well... there's our expedition..." Ruby said with a small sigh.

"I don't detect any auras nearby, other than ours," replied Weiss. "No survivors. Anyone out here for more than a day would have frozen to death anyway."

_**The cascading pallor,  
Of ghostless feather. **_

The pair stood on a small ridge-line, overlooking a scene of devastation. Tents and wagons were strewn everywhere, scorch marks lined the trees, and bodies were littered across the ground. Human _and_ Grimm, though there were far more of the former.

"We should still look though," Ruby said. "Just to be sure..."

"Ruby, no. I know this is hard to see, and I know you want to help these people, but they're already gone. We can't do anything for them, and we need to get out of here before the Grimm that did this come back. If something happened to us up here, it would take them weeks to find us. In fact, they might never, this area is still uncharted, remember?"

Ruby shuddered slightly, looking down at the ground. Weiss stepped over to her and wrapped her arms around the brunette from behind, comforting her in the only way she knew how.

"...You're right Weiss. I just... we're supposed to protect people from this kind of thing. It's our job as huntresses. Even though we weren't here, I can't help but feel like... we failed..."

"Ruby, you have failed nothing and no one. These people chose to venture out here with almost no security; they brought this upon themselves. Don't you dare blame yourself for their mistakes."

"I know." Ruby took a deep breath, then looked up, an expression of determination on her face. "Let's leave then, we should get back to report this as quickly as possible."

Ruby extricated herself from Weiss' grip and turned around, then gasped in shock.

What she saw chilled her to the bone.

A pack of over a dozen beowolves. Less than 25 feet away. Caught in the act of creeping up on the pair.

"Weiss! Move!" There was a note of terror in Ruby's voice.

Weiss whipped around in surprise, eyes widening in horror as she saw what had frightened the brunette.

Realizing they were discovered, the pack broke into a dead sprint, hurtling themselves at the two huntresses.

But the two of them hadn't become the top of their class by having slow reactions. In a flash, Ruby had unslung and extended Crescent Rose, and was already spinning it around and firing shots into the oncoming horde. Weiss too, had drawn Myrenaster, and quickly spun the dust chambers, blasting the first beowolves to reach her with orange burn dust. It seared and scorched their skin, and they howled in pain as they caught ablaze. Beowolves were deathly afraid of fire; it was one of their only known weaknesses.

Ruby spun and slashed, whipping her scythe around her like a whirlwind, as beowolves leapt at her again and again. Every time they got close, they were either knocked away, or simply sliced in half by the spinning blade. A particularly inventive beowolf sprang up into a nearby tree, and attempted to dive upon Ruby from above.

Ruby fired Crescent Rose, once, twice, the recoil propelling her backwards towards a nearby tree as the beowolf landed upon empty ground, snarling in rage. Still flying backwards, Ruby reached her legs out and kicked off from the tree, reversing her momentum and flying towards the enraged creature. She flew past it in a blur of red, and it whipped around to track her.

It attempted to pursue her, only to whine in confusion as it realized its legs weren't working. Then, slowly, its waist slid apart from the rest of its body, and flopped down onto the ground. Ruby's cut had been so fast that it hadn't even registered in the beasts simple mind. The brunette slid to a halt, snow swirling around her. She assumed a defensive stance, only to realize that she and Weiss were the only ones left standing. Weiss herself, was surrounded by almost nine of the slain creatures. The snowfall was light, and emphasized her pale features. She appeared like a huntress of legends, standing proud amongst a pile of slain Grimm. The image made Ruby smile.

"_And she's all mine,_" she thought.

The brunette retracted Crescent Rose and slung it over her back. She wasn't even out of breath. Being fresh out of the top school in the world for huntresses, the two were at their physical peak. She grinned at Weiss, who nodded and returned the smile.

"Did more come from behind us or something?" Ruby asked.

"Yes, a few snuck around from our flank while we were fighting the bulk of the pack. Though, I'm more worried about how they managed to sneak up on us. We should have detected their auras."

Ruby shrugged and gazed around in contemplation. "Yeah, I don't know... now that you mention it, it is weird that we didn't notice them."

"Exactly. I think it's this place. Remember when I said something about this whole area was off?"

Ruby nodded as confirmation.

"I think something is disrupting our ability to detect aura." Weiss continued, facing away from the brunette. "I'm not sure what it is, but there has to be a reason we can't feel the flow of energy around us."

"Well... the only thing I can remember that can do that is an Alpha beowolf," Ruby said.

A cold wind blew through the trees, rustling their branches.

Behind her, there was a small rustling sound as something moved. She quickly turned around.

Weiss' eyes grew wide with shock as she came to same realization as Ruby, and she too whipped around to face the brunette. The image before her seemed to freeze itself in time.

Hanging in the air a few feet from Ruby was an Alpha beowolf in mid-lunge, jaws extended and neck outstretched. The beast was several times larger than the other beowolves, and it was covered in plates of white armor. A challenge for even the most experienced hunters. Alpha beowolves were lightning-fast, impossibly strong, and cruel beyond measure. And one had gotten the drop on Ruby.

Weiss screamed Ruby's name and reached out to her in slow-motion, as if she could somehow stop what she knew was about to happen.

Ruby had turned at the last moment, and with microseconds to spare, held her right arm in front of herself as defense, and attempted to use her semblance to speed away. She wasn't fast enough.

It all happened so slowly, Weiss was only able to watch. With a sickening crunch, the monster brought its jaws together around the meat of Ruby's arm. The brunette screamed in agony, and the beast lifted her up in the air with its neck, and threw her into a tree. Blood hung in the air as she flew towards the evergreen.

_**Red birds escape from my wounds,  
And return as falling snow,  
To sweep the landscape a wind haunted,  
Wings without bodies. **_

She slammed into its trunk, and slumped over on the ground. She didn't move, or stir in the slightest.

Weiss was frozen in horror. Her mind wasn't working, it couldn't comprehend that she had just seen the love of her life die. It refused to believe. Ruby wasn't dead. She couldn't be. **SHE COULDN'T BE**!

Weiss broke. Screaming in rage, she poured all of her pain and loss into a single, wordless cry of utter abandonment. She unsheathed Myrenaster, the blade gleaming in the setting sun, and lunged towards the Alpha beowolf faster than the human eye could track. It didn't have time to react. As fast as it was, it didn't even have time to _move_.

Stabbing with all the force in her body, she brutally shoved Myrtenaster into the beast's eye socket, a weak point in between armor plates. Howling with loss and fury, she pushed the blade in deeper, forcing it up to the hilt. The point of the blade protruded out of the back of the creature's head.

It twitched once, and slumped over, dead.

Normally, Weiss would feel proud of her accomplishment. But there was only one thought on her mind, and it burned like a thousand suns.

_Ruby._

Leaving the blade stuck in the beast's skull, she sprinted over to Ruby and knelt beside her, hands hovering just over her girlfriends body. Weiss wasn't one given to crying, but tears were already streaming down her face. Hesitantly, she reached down and rolled Ruby over, so she could see her front. She seemed unhurt, until Weiss managed to free the brunette's right arm from under the pile of snow she was lying on. What she saw made her recoil in horror. Ruby's right arm was mangled horribly, deep gash marks from the Alpha beowolf's teeth having ripped the flesh open. Blood was pouring from the wounds, but it wasn't bright crimson like it should be. It was a deeper, darker red, almost black in some places.

Weiss realized the implications of this, as a groan escaped from the brunette's lips and she began to stir.

"W-Weiss?"

"Ruby!" Oh my god, Ruby, you're alive!" Weiss was relieved beyond words that her partner wasn't dead, Ruby was the only real reason Weiss had to live anymore. She _existed_ for the brunette, to be there for her and support her, to bask in her smile and crumble under her affections. She loved Ruby more than she loved life itself.

"Ugh, it doesn't feel that way, feels like something crushed my chest... what happened?"

Weiss shifted Ruby, cradling the brunette in her arms. She shifted Ruby's head so that it rested upon her shoulder.

_**The snow, the bitter snowfall.  
You long to die in her pale arms, crystalline.  
To become an ode to silence,  
In the soul of a mountain of birds, fallen. **_

"An alpha got the jump on you. But that's not important right now. Ruby. Listen to me. Can... can you feel your arm?"

"Can I feel my arm?" Ruby looked confused for a few seconds. The look of confusion was quickly replaced with one of fear. "Actually, no. I can't. Is something wrong with it?"

Weiss shuddered, a tremor of fear working its way down her spine. If Ruby was afflicted with what she thought she might be, the brunette might not be alive for much longer. The thought filled Weiss with pure terror.

"_**No**__, that won't happen._" the former heiress resolved. "_I won't let it._"

Weiss lifted Ruby's right arm up so that the brunette could see it.

"Look for yourself..."

"Ohmygod..." Ruby whispered. "Weiss... is that..."

Weiss nodded haltingly, the tears she had just recently been able to stop returning with full force.

"That's... that's blood poisoning, isn't it? That's why my blood is black."

Weiss nodded again, finding herself unable to speak. Distantly, she recalled their days at Beacon, where they had learned that an Alpha beowolf's teeth were coated in numerous deadly toxins. Toxins that were now in Ruby's bloodstream.

Ruby drew a shuddering breath, and let it out slowly. And then, something changed. Her eyes were shining with the glint of pure determination. _This_ was why she was the leader of Team RWBY. She could steel herself in an instant, resign herself to whatever she needed to do to accomplish her goals.

Survive. That was the goal this time.

Because she couldn't allow herself to die and leave Weiss all alone. She couldn't leave the fragile white-haired girl, alone and sobbing in the ivory forest, never to feel the warmth of her love again. She_ couldn't_.

"Weiss, focus. Listen to my voice, we have to be quick. I could still make it out of this."

Weiss sniffed and nodded her head, slightly calmed by Ruby's voice. The brunette sounded relaxed, and in command. That was what she needed.

Ruby reached down to her boot with her good arm, and pulled a knife from her boot. Without a moment of hesitation, she used it to open a tear in the fabric of the clothes just above her right shoulder. Gritting her teeth, she slashed the knife across the opening, slicing a shallow cut into the skin.

"Ruby!" Weiss gasped. "What are you doing!"

"Weiss, stay calm. What color is the blood?"

Weiss quickly understood, and she lifted up the cloth and looked at the wound.

"R-red, the blood is red. Normal, I mean."

"Okay, that's good Weiss. That means the poisoning hasn't spread to the rest of my body yet." She looked up into Weiss' eyes, staring at her with a look of grim determination. "You know what this means we have to do, don't you?"

Weiss simply stared back at Ruby with an expression of grief. In the back of her mind, she knew what Ruby was asking, but she didn't want to think about it.

"Weiss... Weiss, honey, listen to me. We're going to have to amputate the arm.

_The_ arm. Ruby was already referring to it as if it wasn't hers. That's how quickly her mind processed events during a crisis situation.

"Ruby, please, maybe we don't have to-"

Ruby placed her left hand over Weiss' mouth, silencing her.

"Weiss. You have to do this. It's the only way I'll live. We're all alone out here, remember? I won't make it to a hospital in time."

"B-but, I can't even do it!" Weiss screeched. "What am I supposed to use, Myrenaster!? That knife?!"

"Weiss, honey, please don't yell at me."

Weiss felt absolutely horrible as she realized what she had just done. Her heart dropped to her stomach. She was scared, she was angry, but Ruby was the wounded one, the one that might be about to die, and here she was, _yelling_ at her? The thought that the last words spoken between her, and the love of her life might be ones of anger flashed their way through her mind. She almost threw up.

"...I'm sorry. I'm so, so, _so_ sorry. Please just... I'm so sorry."

Ruby reached her free hand up to cup Weiss' cheek, and she rubbed her thumb in circles to try to wipe away some of the tears.

"Weiss, it's okay. I forgive you. But please, do this for me? You'll have to use Crescent Rose."

The heiress' eyes went wide with shock. "R-Ruby! I can't even lift that thing!"

"Hey, don't call her a thing!" Ruby said with a giggle.

Weiss couldn't believe it. The brunette was seconds away from death, and she was _laughing_? Then it occurred to her. Ruby wasn't being strong for herself. Ruby was being strong for _her_, for Weiss. The realization filled her with shame, and she steeled herself for what was to come. Ruby had given her everything, a home, a friendship, a life, and more tender loving care than she could have asked for. She was Weiss' first friend, her only friend, and her first and only love. And more than that, Ruby trusted Weiss with her heart, the most precious thing one person could give another. Weiss resolved right then and there, that she would be _damned_ if she failed Ruby.

"Alright, where is _she_ then."

"Right over there," Ruby pointed with her free hand. "You can do this, Weiss."

Weiss shuddered, and gave Ruby a short kiss before standing up. The kiss may have been short, but Weiss poured all of her love, longing, and thankfulness for Ruby into that one short contact of their lips.

Leaning Ruby against the tree, she walked over to Crescent Rose, and lifted it with a visible struggle. The sun had begun to set, and the pale orange glow of the horizon filtered through the frost-covered trees, setting Weiss' silhouette ablaze. A pale woman with white hair, carrying a red scythe.

"How do you use this thing! It's so heavy!"

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Weiss. "I told you already, I drink milk!"

Weiss couldn't help but laugh at that.

Ruby laughed too, but quickly recovered her composure. "Weiss, hurry. I don't think I have much longer. We'll do it on this rock over here."

Ruby stood up and walked over to a boulder that stood at roughly waist height, and laid her right arm upon it. She smiled softly at Weiss, who was struggling to drag Crescent Rose over to her.

Reaching the brunette, Weiss stared at Ruby's arm, steeling herself for what she had to do. She tried to stop them, but tears streamed their way down her face once more.

Ruby smiled softly at her. "Just do it Weiss. Please, for my sake, just do it. Get it over with."

Weiss nodded with a stutter. "R-Ruby... I love you..."

"I love you too Weiss. Kiss me goodnight?"

Without a second of hesitation, Weiss lunged at Ruby and drew her into a passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around her and squeezing tighter than she ever had before. She kissed her like it was the last time either of them would be able to. Ruby moaned and tilted her head, leaning into the kiss, pushing forward just as hard as Weiss was. It didn't last nearly long enough though.

Weiss drew back, and steeled herself. No more stalling.

The ex-heiress shifted her arm and used the blade of the scythe to slice off a portion of her sleeve, and handed it to Ruby. "Here, bite down on this," she managed to say, as she placed it in Ruby's mouth. The brunette mumbled her thanks, her eyes filled with silent approval. She nodded.

"I love you," Ruby mumbled.

"You dolt, you already said that," Weiss replied with tears in her eyes. "But I love you too. More than anything..."

Shakingly, Weiss extended Crescent Rose and brought the scythe up with a grunt, looking away from Ruby. She couldn't bear to meet her gaze.

"_What if I miss? You have to be strong, for her._"

Realizing her mistake, Weiss turned her head back, and stared right at the spot on Ruby's shoulder where she was going to bring the scythe down, as hard as it was. She lifted the scythe above her head. Ruby stared at her. The sun set. And time seemed to stop.

_**The stone is by the crimson blood, swallowed.  
The red tide beyond the ebon wound, contorted.  
My sacrifice bids farewell in this river of memory:  
A wave to end all time. **_

She brought the scythe down. It made a loud **chunk** as it sliced cleanly through Ruby's arm, the limb falling off of the rock and sliding down to rest in the snow. It stained the ground black and red.

Ruby screamed in agony, feeling the pain in her arm all at once, as one overwhelming sensation. The heart-wrenching cry shattered Weiss' soul into tiny pieces. The brunette fell over on the ground and curled into a ball, clutching at the stump of her right shoulder.

Weiss flung the scythe down in absolute horror, as if it were the most evil thing in the world. Covering her hands with her mouth, she flung herself on top of Ruby and looked at her, not sure what to do. What _could_ she do?

Ruby's eyes rolled up into the back of her head. She groaned, and then blacked out from sheer pain.

Trembling, Weiss lifted Ruby up and cradled her, sobbing softly, her eyes screwed shut.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry," she repeated over and over. She thought back, to all the time she spent with the Ruby, all the chaste kisses, all the whispered words of affection, all the time spent in the early morning and late night simply holding one another. She remembered Ruby's kindness, her caring nature, her strength, her conviction... _her conviction_!

Her own promise, her own conviction to help Ruby sprang back into her mind.

_"I have to get her to a hospital!"_

Weiss grabbed the strip of cloth Ruby had used as a gag, and tied it as tightly as she could around the brunette's shoulder. It wasn't much, but it should slow the bleeding. _Should_... Weiss knew though, it wouldn't be enough. She had only one option. Ice would freeze the wound. She glanced around for Myrenaster, then remembered it was still lodged in that beast's skull.

"_Too far away. Have to use my semblance,_" she thought.

Placing her hand over the wound, Weiss focused her powers, and ice began to spread from her fingertips. It cracked and twisted, forming a sheen over the bloody stump. Say what you will about Crescent Rose, but its edge was sharper than anything Weiss had ever seen. The cut was perfect. Weiss finished, a layer of ice now preventing the blood from flowing out of Ruby's arm. Weiss lifted the brunette up in her arms, and turned south. Gathering her breath, she took a step forward, and _ran_.

Weiss didn't care that the nearest settlement was over thirty miles away.

She didn't care that the only way she would be able to get Ruby there was bridal style.

She didn't care that she wasn't particularly physically strong, and that Ruby had grown taller and heavier than her.

She didn't care that it was an impossible task.

She left behind Crescent Rose. She left behind Myrtenaster. They didn't matter.

The only thing that mattered was Ruby. She cradled the brunette closer to her chest, clutching on to her like the last shreds of her sanity.

"_Hold on Ruby... please hold on, for me... I can't live without you.._."

Gritting her teeth and squeezing her eyes shut to block out the tears, Weiss ran, through the snow, through the fog, through the night.

_**The snow has fallen,  
And raised this white mountain,  
On which you will die.  
And fade away in silence. **_

* * *

_**For optimal reading, open up a Youtube tab and listen to the song "Falling Snow" by Agalloch. **_

_**It was my inspiration for this chapter, it was on repeat as I wrote this. I have a few more chapters planned, each one revolving around a specific Agalloch song. **__****__**They're an Atmospheric Folk/Doom Metal band from Washington. They sing about nature, and loss, and depression, and death and winter, and it's some of the most powerful stuff I've ever heard. **_And don't worry, this story doesn't feature character death. I will never write character death. And yes, it does take place in the same universe as my Space!AU. This is how Ruby got her robotic arm.  


_**I don't own Agalloch, or any of it's songs. I don't own RWBY, or any of the characters.**_

_**Please leave a review, even if it's only a few words. I just love knowing that people read my hard work. **_


	2. Fire Above, Ice Below - Limbs

**For optimal reading, open up a Youtube tab and listen to "Fire Above, Ice Below" by Agalloch. The words in bold italics are the lyrics to this song.**

* * *

_**The woeful silence and wind's reflection,  
Of your body's pale ode, an icy fortress of blood and ages**_

Weiss Schnee felt herself being unwillingly dragged from the soothing embrace of her dreamless sleep, and opened her eyes, slowly, painfully. She wasn't sure what had awakened her. Just a general sense of uneasiness, she supposed. It was the first time she'd been able to sleep in four days, not counting the thirteen hours she had been passed out for, after delivering Ruby to the hospital. Just like the first time, the first thing her waking mind became aware of was the incessant beeping.

**Beep~ Beep~ Beep~ Beep~**

Those strange noises. Those simple, repetitive sounds. Those soothing, calming, oh-so-beautiful sounds. They meant one thing, and one thing only. That Ruby Rose was _alive_. That sound soothed her worries like nothing else could. Well, except for Ruby's actual heartbeat. That was even better.

Weiss shakingly stood up out of the chair she had fallen asleep in, lifting her arms above her head to stretch. She was thankful that the nurses had mostly left her alone, only interrupting to check up on Ruby or change her dressings. She let out a deep yawn and let her arms fall to her sides. They felt purposeless. They felt... wrong. Gazing upon Ruby's unconscious form, her eyes were drawn, as before, to the conspicuous absence where her right arm used to be.

It felt so unfair. Ruby was the kind one, the caring one, the one that never gave up on Weiss no matter what, no matter how hard she had tried to push her away. Ruby was selfless, and courageous, and strong, and beautiful... and yet she was the one missing an arm. She was the one that couldn't be a huntress anymore. She was the one that had had her dream snatched away from her..

_"Why couldn't it just have attacked me instead? Why am I standing here, perfectly fine, while Ruby lies there in a coma? There truly is no justice in this cruel world."_

These same thoughts had already run through her head countless times, and she simply let them stay their course. But then a new thought occurred to her.

_"What if... what if she blames me for this? What if she doesn't forgive me? She can't... she can't be a huntress anymore. Her dream is... over. She can't wield that scythe with just one arm, no one could... and she surely won't forgive me for leaving "her" behind..."_

Once again, Weiss was struck with an intense feeling of guilt as she recalled leaving Crescent Rose in the blood-stained snow. Almost as strong as the guilt that she felt at being in perfect health, while her girlfriend lay on cold white sheets, fighting for her life. The blood loss had been traumatic, and Ruby had slipped into a coma because of it. The doctors couldn't say when she'd come out of it. Or even if she would in the first place.

Weiss stared out the room's only window, rubbing her hand over it to try and clear away some of the frost. The town they were in, Kaesoran, was currently being buried under a blizzard. Weiss had barely managed to get Ruby to the hospital before it had started, kicking the doors open, drenched in sweat despite the cold. She had passed out immediately, once she was sure that Ruby was safe.

Weiss shivered in the bitter chill and sighed. No matter how high she cranked the heater, the room was still deathly cold. The whole building was, in fact. They were still in the Tural mountains, and this makeshift hospital had been the closest medical facility capable of treating Ruby's wounds. It was a small hospital, but not run-down like Weiss had expected. The medium-sized town of Kaesoran's main interests were hunting and fishing, and those professions carried with them a high accident rate. Thus, this hospital had been built, funded by those same hunters and fishermen, for the express purpose of treating those who had been injured while in the Turals.

Weiss turned around and faced the rooms other inhabitant, biting her lip in worry. She felt lost and alone without Ruby's warm voice and soothing words to reassure her. She felt like she was missing a part of herself.

She reached out her hand and placed it on Ruby's remaining arm, rubbing up and down slowly. As she drew her hand back, it brushed over the sheets, and she recoiled at how cold they were.

_"So cold... well if there's one thing I can give Ruby after all she's done for me, it's warmth. It's the very least I can do."_

Normally Weiss would shy away from public displays of affection, but this was different. This was so, so different.

Carefully, she lifted up the sheets and crawled into the bed next to Ruby, wrapping her arms and legs around the brunette's sleeping form, cradling her as tightly as possible.

She needed Ruby, desperately. She needed to feel her heartbeat, to bathe in her warmth, and to revel in the sound of her voice. She needed to be the center of Ruby's attention, to know that her affections were returned, to know that someone actually _loved_ her.

After all those years in the cold, uncaring confines of her family's household, she had finally found someone that loved her, someone whom she loved back just as much. And she would not give that up for anything.

But as she drifted off into a far more comfortable slumber than before, warmed by the body pressed up against her own, a lone, ominous thought entered her weary mind.

_"What if this changes things between us?"_

She involuntarily shuddered, as her mind surrendered to the oblivion that beckoned to it.

_"What if she doesn't love me back anymore?"_

* * *

_**Sky fire above, ice below the hearth...**_

The snow whipped and swirled around a solitary motorcycle as it ploughed through the snow, screeching into the parking lot. The bike's rider yanked the handlebars to the side, and it skidded across the ice a few dozen feet before sliding perfectly into an open parking space. Not that that was a problem, the facility was mostly empty anyways. Only a few hospital staff had remained on site during this raging blizzard.

Disembarking from the bike and removing her helmet, a woman with long golden hair that blazed like fire stepped off, and ran towards the front doors. She pushed them open, and the snow swirled inside and scattered itself around the lobby.

She walked up to the front desk and slammed her hands down upon it, and the nurse at the front desk jumped in surprise. The blonde-haired woman was wearing a brown leather jacket, over a yellow shirt emblazoned with an icon of the sun, and a pair of dark leather pants. She spoke only two words, but she spoke them with force.

"Where's Ruby."

The nurse looked at her in surprise, she hadn't expected anyone to try and brave the raging snowstorm outside. Plus, the golden-haired woman didn't exactly look friendly. In fact, she looked positively _livid_.

"Ruby... Rose? She's in room 14D. Uh, it's over there, down that hallway, third door on the left."

The blonde simply nodded and walked away with purposeful strides, her mind made up. And when Yang Xiao Long made up her mind, there wasn't a force on the planet that could stop her. She was about to do something that she didn't want to do, but something that was necessary. She just hoped Ruby could forgive her, one day. It was for her own good, after all.

* * *

"Weiss, get up."

The woman in question jerked awake and looked around the room, rubbing her eyes as she sought to clear the sleep from them, seeking to disentangle herself from Ruby at the same time. Regardless of how she felt about Ruby, she still felt embarrassed at having been caught sleeping with her.

Her eyes went wide as they alighted upon the figure of Yang Xiao Long, Ruby's adoptive sister. She quickly got out of the bed, smoothing the wrinkles out of her clothes. She stared in apprehension as she saw Yang's eyes come to rest on Ruby's right arm, or lack of it. The blonde's eyes narrowed, but in what Weiss didn't know. Anger? Suspicion? Regret?

The two sisters were closer than anyone Weiss had ever seen before, and she knew that Yang would do anything, _anything_, to protect her baby sister. Weiss also knew Yang had quite the temper. What Weiss didn't expect, was what Yang did next.

The blonde took a few steps towards Weiss, easily crossing the small room, and time seemed to slow. Weiss clearly saw what Yang was about to do, but she didn't believe it. As she stared in disbelief, Yang's aura burst into life, her hair whipping around her, shooting small flames around the room. Closing the rest of the gap, pure fury in her eyes, Yang punched Weiss in the face, hard.

Weiss was caught off guard, and was spun around by force of the blow as she cried out in pain, slamming her head against the wall and falling to the floor.

She didn't even try to pick herself up; her mind was reeling.

At this point, Yang's aura was at full blaze. Flames whipped around the room, and Yang herself looked to be the center-point of a fiery inferno. The blonde caught herself before she could continue, and reminded herself that punching Weiss wasn't her purpose, as satisfying as it was. So she reeled herself in, and her aura dissipated. That didn't mean she wasn't still angry though. No, she was still absolutely furious. Weiss was a problem. Ruby couldn't fix it. So Yang would.

She walked over to Weiss and grabbed a fistful of her hair, lifting her up and throwing her against the nearest wall. She placed both of her hands on the white-haired woman's shoulders, holding her up so she could look her in the face. Fearful, empty white met blazing, burning crimson.

Yang's eyes were red. Weiss knew that was bad, real bad. And worse, she hadn't yet recovered, and right now she was powerless to resist the stronger woman.

Weiss tried to look away, but she couldn't. When she attempted to, Yang dug her fingers deep into her shoulder-blades, her knuckles white, and the pain forced to her to comply with Yang's commands.

"Look at me!" the blonde growled.

Well, if she couldn't resist her, maybe she could reason with Ruby's overprotective sister.

"Yang," Weiss screeched. "What are you doing! Let me go! I don't know what they told you, but whatever it is, it's wrong!"

"Oh it's wrong huh? So you didn't almost get Ruby killed by a beowolf, and you didn't cut her fucking arm off? She's totally fine right, she can be a huntress still? I must just be _fucking_ imagining the empty _fucking_ space where her _goddamn_ arm used to be!"

"Y-Yang, I had to! She would have bled out, she wouldn't even be here right now if it wasn't for me!"

Weiss winced as Yang squeezed her shoulders tighter.

"You got that right, you fucking bitch! If it wasn't for you, she _wouldn't_ be here, lying in this hospital, missing an arm, about to find out that she can never be a huntress again, that she has to give up on the dream that she's had since she was a kid!"

"But she was fine with it before, she told me to-"

Yang cut her off by smacking her across the face with the back of her hand. Weiss was stunned into silence, feeling the sting on her cheek.

"Weiss, you've pushed me one too many times! Ever since you met her, you've done nothing but criticize her, degrade her, and insult her. Ruby is _done_ with you. If she was awake right now, she'd tell you the same goddamn thing! You think she'd still want to be with you, to even be _friends_ with you when she finds out you crushed the only dream she ever had?! The only thing that kept her going after her mom died!?"

Weiss could only stare at her in shock. As painful as Yang's blows were, as painful as it was seeing Ruby unconscious in the bed next to her, the most painful thing was that Yang's words rung true.

Why would Ruby even want to look at her again after what happened?

_"She wouldn't," _Weiss realized.

Yang wasn't done with her, however.

Her furious blood-red eyes bored into Weiss', and the words she spoke crushed Weiss' fragile heart.

"Just get out. Now."

Normally, Weiss wouldn't allow herself to be bossed around by Ruby's older sister. She was a proud soul, and she did not bow easily. But this time, she realized Yang was right. Weiss was hard on people when they made mistakes, but she was even harder on herself. She blamed herself for what had happened. Ruby would probably hate her. With all her heart, for her entire life, Ruby had wanted to be a Huntress. And thanks to Weiss' lack of awareness, that dream was now lost forever.

There was only one thing to do, she realized. She would have to leave Ruby. For her own good. Without her, Ruby would be safe again. And that was all that mattered.

Weiss shuffled towards the door slowly, Yang simply watching her with the eyes of a hawk.

"Just walk away," the blonde said, her voice dripping with contempt. She turned away before Weiss could see the tears gathering in her eyes. That had been the single most difficult thing she had ever done, but it _had_ to be done. To protect Ruby...

_"Just walk away Weiss... don't make it any harder than it has to be..."_

At least, that's what Yang told herself.

_"Pretend that none of this is real... I'm sorry..."_

Weiss stumbled out of the room, Yang's burning red eyes following her the whole way, dripping with tears.

The former heiress shuffled towards the hospital entrance like a zombie, ignoring the concerned exclamations of the nurse at the front desk.

She pushed open the doors with her shoulder, and was met with the full force of the raging blizzard.

It struck her with it's biting chill, freezing the tears upon her face. The bitter sting of the wind was reminiscent of the pain she was feeling inside. It felt good, in a way. She felt like she deserved to suffer.

Uncaring of her destination, she strode into the blizzard, her feet carrying her forward one shaky step at a time. She didn't know where to go, she had no place to call home any more. Going back to she and Ruby's shared house would be too painful now. She needed to start anew.

She gazed off to the north, realizing that her feet were subconsciously carrying her in that direction. Through the storm, she could just barely make out the shapes of titanic mountains in the distance.

The Turals.

_**Fall away from me to that citadel at the end of time,  
Where death sleeps and dreams of your buried pain **_

That's where she would go, she decided. She would wander off into the north and die, alone and forgotten. Frozen, just like her heart. Just like Ruby's right arm. No one would remember her, no one would care. And that suited her just fine. If she was lying to herself.

The howling gale blocked out all other sound, but she could hear the silence in it. It seemed to accuse her.

_**There has never been a silence like this before,  
There will never be an ode like this again **_

She turned around, facing the hospital and looking towards her Rose one last time. Frozen tears upon her face, her hair whipped around by the wind, she poured out her last remaining emotions.

"Ruby," she said softly, her voice stolen by the howling wind. "I'm so, so sorry. I've said it before, and I can't say it enough. I wanted to be there for you, to be the one that holds you at night and keeps you warm and safe, and have you do the same for me. I know you weren't perfect, but you were perfect for me. But now I see that it just isn't meant to be. Yang is right. I've done nothing but bring you suffering and pain..." She paused and took a deep breath. "B-but for all the good things we shared, I need to say this one last time. I'm sorry again, and..."

Three words eased their way past her pale, frozen lips, one final time.

"I love you..."

Before this, she hadn't realized heartbreak could be an actual, physical pain. Deep down, she knew this was the right thing to do. This was what was necessary, for Ruby to be safe. But then why did it hurt so much?

She turned and strode into the blizzard, and the monochrome storm swallowed her pale white figure.

* * *

**Change of song. The lyrics will now be from "Limbs" by Agalloch. Give it a listen, its gloomy and ambient sound fits the mood of the story.**

* * *

**_The texture of the soul is a liquid that casts a vermilion flood  
From a wound carved as an oath; it fills the river bank a sanguine fog_ **

Blinking slowly, Ruby awakened from what felt like a deep, deep sleep. She was lying on her back, and her eyes focused in on the buzzing light in the white ceiling, not comprehending her surroundings, or even her existence yet.

Gradually, memories came back to her, pieces of her psyche, fragments of a whole. She became self-aware again. Her limbs felt like they were encased in concrete, and she struggled to do so much as lift a finger. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a blur of yellow, and it drew her attention. Struggling to move her neck, she twisted it as much as she was able, and let gravity do the rest, her head flopping down to rest sideways on her pillow.

It was Yang. Her adoptive sister was slumped over in a chair next to her bed, chin resting atop her hand, which was in turn propped up on her knee. Drool was slowly leaking from her mouth and pooling on the floor.

Ruby struggled to speak her name, to call out to her, but all that came out was a broken whisper; her throat felt like it had been sandblasted. Curious as to what lay on the other side of the room, she attempted to turn her head to the right, and after what felt like an hour, finally regained enough strength to move her neck muscles. She found herself staring out a window at a winter landscape, frosted trees and piles of snow. And beyond that, the looming shadow of ominous, titanic mountain peaks.

So they were still in the Turals.

Wait, why was she in that uncharted mountain range in the first place? Something about... a mission. A hunt? For... Grimm! That was right, and she had found them. She recalled her fight with the Alpha beowolf, and for some reason her right arm started to ache painfully. She tried to flex it, but found to her confusion that she couldn't feel the limb itself, just a painful aching where it should be. Perplexed and a little afraid, she slowly lifted her left arm and picked up the sheet that covered her right, a quiet gasp escaping her parched lips as she saw the empty space where her arm should be.

_**These arms were meant to be lost! Hacked, severed and forgotten.**_

Frantically, she rubbed her hand over the vacant space, convinced that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Feeling nothing but air, she moved her hand up to her shoulder, and was horrified to feel a stump where her arm used to be.

_"What... what happened to my arm?!"_

Suddenly, vivid images flashed through her mind. Crescent Rose raised above her arm, the cold feel of the rock underneath it, the last sensation it would experience. The scythe flashing down, the spray of blackened blood, and then... nothing.

But who had severed her arm?

_~ "I love you," Ruby mumbled. "You dolt, you already said that," Weiss replied with tears in her eyes. "But I love you too. More than anything..." ~_

The full memory of the events leading up to the amputation rushed through her mind, and she gasped as she remembered everything.

Weiss had saved her life... Weiss had...

Weiss!

Ruby snapped her head to the left, struggling on her elbows to sit up.

"Yang!" she yelled, her voice hoarse.

The blonde jolted awake, losing her balance in the chair and almost falling to the floor. She flailed around for a few moments as she caught herself, and then stared at Ruby incredulously, in sheer disbelief.

"R-Ruby!" she stuttered. "You're awake? They said you might never wake up..."

"Well I'm awake now. Where's Weiss?!"

The brunette struggled in the bed, attempting to swing her legs over the edge and stand on her own two feet.

Before she could, Yang leapt out of the chair and placed her hands on Ruby's shoulders, forcing her back down onto the bed.

"Whoa whoa whoa there lil' sis, you can't get up just yet! Do you even know how long you've been in that coma?"

"Wait, I was in a coma?! I thought I was just unconscious!"

"Nope... I don't really know how to say this, but, well you've been out for the past two, almost three months. And... the doctors didn't think you would ever wake up again. So uh, sorry for this, in advance."

"Wait, sorry for wha-HNNGGG!"

Yang had pulled Ruby into one of her patented hugs, nearly crushing the life out of her.

"Ya...Yang..." Ruby managed to say. "You're ki...k-killing me-"

Yang chuckled and released Ruby, and the brunette flopped back down onto the bed, glad to be alive.

"I'm sorry Ruby, I was on a hunt when I heard you got hurt, but I came as fast as I could finish up. You'd been in the hospital for about a week at that point. Blake wanted to come too, but she had a much more important hunt to take care of."

Ruby laid back on the bed and breathed slowly.

"Nothing against Blake," she said. "But what's more important that seeing your dying sister-in-law?"

Yang stuttered and flailed her arms around. "Ruby! We're not married!"

Ruby smiled knowingly. "Not yet, but cha' might as well be."

Yang scoffed.

"Anyway, the thing that was so important, that held her back from seeing you? Can you say, "Nevermore eyrie?"

"Oh wow..." Ruby breathed. "How many?"

"Almost a dozen."

"Whoaahhh... Blake's so cool!"

"Don't I know it." Yang replied with a smile. But then she seemed to remember something, and she broke eye contact with Ruby, electing to stare at the foot of the bed instead.

"Yang? What's wrong?"

The blonde took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. "There's... something I need to tell you."

"Oh before you get to that, I was going to ask you where Weiss is?"

Yang stared at the floor. "That's... what I was going to tell you about."

Something in her tone gave her away, and Ruby's expression grew serious. Dead serious.

"Yang." She said, all traces of humor gone. "Where is Weiss?"

"She's... she's gone."

"Gone? What does "gone" mean?" Ruby sounded fragile and small. "Yang if something happened to her, just tell me now. I need to know."

"Gone means... I sent her away for a while. When I came her and saw you, missing an arm, I... I almost lost control Ruby. So I sent Weiss away. I thought she'd be back but..."

"Oh, I thought she was... wait... you what?"

"I sent her away, Ruby." Yang met her sisters gaze, fiery conviction in her eyes. There was no backing out of this now. "I sent her away from you."

"You _what_." Ruby growled, her eyes narrowing.

"She cost you your fucking life Ruby! Don't try and pretty this up like you do everything else, you're never going to be a huntress again and you know it! Do you get it? Your dream is dead! _She_ killed it! She's been nothing but trouble for you, right from the start!" Yang almost screamed.

"You don't have the right to say what she is and isn't to me, she's my girlfriend, and she's the love of my life! I'm the only one that decides that! I can't believe you!" Ruby screeched.

The full implications of what Yang had done hit Ruby, and she gasped.

"So she's been gone for two months!? You fucking bitch!" Ruby gasped.

Yang recoiled as if Ruby had slapped her; the brunette's words cut deep.

"She was supposed to come back though, I don't know why she hasn't returned! Ruby listen to me, I'm your sister! I've been with you so much longer than she has, and she cut your fucking arm off! What more proof do you need that you're better off without her? Who the hell cuts their girlfriend's arm off!?"

"She didn't want to! It was the hardest thing she's ever had to do, and it saved my life! I can't believe you sent her away... you do realize she doesn't have anywhere to go, right?!"

"That's not my problem," Yang huffed.

Tears began to gather in Ruby's eyes, as she thought of Weiss, alone, lost, and afraid somewhere in the wilderness. What Yang had done was nearly unforgivable, and she would need a long time to come to terms with it. But in her heart, Ruby knew that her sister had meant well...

Unfortunately, good intentions don't necessarily mean the consequences will turn out the same.

Ruby realized arguing with Yang would be pointless.

"Yang... I can't believe you..." Ruby said, stifling a sob. "I want to say I hate you... but that would be a lie. Almost."

Yang got teary-eyed too, but she bit the tears back and clenched her fists in anger, as she realized that Ruby was going to go after Weiss no matter what she said.

"...when I find her, we're going to have a long, long talk. But Yang, please, tell me."

Ruby took a deep breath, and her tone was pleading and sincere.

"Where is she?"

Yang sighed and hung her head in defeat.

_**The texture of time is a whisper, that echoes across the flood.**_

_**It's hymn resonates from tree to tree, through every sullen bough it sings  
These boughs were said to be lost! Torn, unearthed and broken.**_

"I saw her... wander into the forest... to the north," the blonde said, with clear reluctance. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't refuse Ruby. Her sister might hate her for this, but it was for the best. She kept telling herself that, right up until the moment Ruby stood up and walked out of the room without another word.

When Ruby left, Yang broke down in sobs and pulled her hair outwards, clutching it in shame, desperate to feel some kind of pain. Something physical, to take her mind off of the blank look Ruby had given her as she left the room.

She had looked at Yang as if she was dead to her.

* * *

To Ruby, there was only once course of action open to her, only one option that she would even consider. Leave Weiss behind? Not in a million, trillion years. The only thing she could do was find her. No matter how long it took, no matter how far she had to search. She would find her. She _had_ to.

She knew Weiss, and she knew Weiss needed her. On the outside, Weiss projected herself as strong, independent, almost invincible. But that was far from the truth. Inside, Weiss was a self-doubting pessimist with poor self-esteem. Some might go so far as to call it self-loathing. Weiss had been neglected by her parents, she had never received the love and care that a child should, being raised instead by cold, uncaring tutors who had instructed her and brought her up. It was no surprise then, that she had built walls around herself, pushing others away and never letting anyone else in.

And then she had met Ruby. Ruby had changed all that. Bit by bit, slowly but surely, the brunette had broken down the heiress' emotional walls, simply by being there for her. For laughing with her, for being there when she cried, Ruby had felt an almost platonic need to give Weiss the companionship she had been lacking all her life. And then, without Ruby realizing it, their friendship had developed into something more. Ruby found herself unable to be around Weiss without feeling nervous; her breath would catch when the white-haired girl entered the room. And unbeknownst to Ruby, the heiress had felt the same way.

It had taken them a long time to admit their feelings for eachother, but when they had, things had been _perfect_. With Ruby, Weiss had finally learned how to live. How to laugh, how to care, how to _love_. The younger girl was just so sincere and heartfelt that one couldn't be unhappy around her. More than anything else in her life, Weiss was thankful for Ruby. For the girl that had shown her that she could still be loved. And eventually, Weiss had learned to love herself too.

But all of that, all the progress Weiss had made... what would she do without Ruby? The brunette knew that the former heiress would be lost without her. And the thought of Weiss lost and alone sent hot spikes through her heart. She _had_ to find her.

So she went to the house they had shared, and packed up the necessary supplies. A sleeping bag, several portable meals, cold-weather gear, maps of the Turals, as spotty and incomplete as they were, and last of all, a hunting rifle. She didn't know how long she would be searching for Weiss, and she didn't want to be stranded in those uncharted mountains without a means of providing for herself.

She sorely missed Crescent Rose, even though she knew she wouldn't have been able to wield it with only one arm. Ah yes, the one-arm problem, as she referred to it. Even the most basic tasks would become much more complicated for her. But she was willing to endure it all, if it meant being reunited with the love of her life.

The one thing that truly gave her pause though, was that her iconic red cloak was missing. She couldn't remember losing it or leaving it behind, but she could not find it. It was the only thing she had left of her mother. And it hadn't been at the hospital. That meant it was somewhere out there, probably where she had lost her arm.

That would be her first destination, she decided as she slung the rifle over her shoulder. She stood on a hilltop, one of the first foothills that gradually ascended into the Tural mountains. She gazed out upon frozen plains, alabaster forests, and snow-covered mountains. And Weiss could be anywhere amongst them.

A cold wind blew past her, and she shivered despite herself. A grim determination was visible in the line of her mouth, the tilt of her head. She was ready.

Confidently, she took the first step of many, towards the imposing mountain peaks of the Tural mountain range. She smiled softly to herself.

_"Wait for me, Weiss, wherever you are. I'm coming to get you."_

* * *

**2 Months Earlier**

Weiss stumbled and shuffled through the snow, somehow avoiding the trees that reared up in her path. She was shivering, and she wrapped her arms around herself to try and retain at least a little body heat. She was wearing the same clothes she had been when she and Ruby had set out on that fateful hunt, a white stormcoat over a grey blouse, white pants and a pair of brown hiking boots.

Ironically, people had used to refer to her as the "Ice Queen." She understood where they got the idea from, but the truth was that she was just as vulnerable to the cold as anyone else. Sometimes even more so, when she was in one of her self-deprecating moods. Ruby had fixed her, taken the fragile pieces of her self-image and shaped them back together into a whole, but just like an ice sculpture melting in the sun, they were all falling back apart, quicker than ever.

Her mind was blank, her hands and feet numb. She had cried so much that her tear ducts were worn-out and empty. Her eyes were red and puffy, and the swirling snow stung them. She didn't know where she was going. She simply _went_. Part of her wanted to give up, to lie down and surrender to the cold abyss, but the Schnee inside her would never allow that. As much as she had distanced herself from her birth family, she would always be a Schnee. And a Schnee never gave up, never surrendered. If this cruel world wanted her life, it would have to work for it.

As she staggered through another snowbank, a flash of red caught her eye. Unconsciously, she altered her course and began trodding towards it.

Reaching the object, she shuffled to a halt, staring blankly at it.

Lying in the snow, half-buried, was Ruby's red cloak. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out towards it.

_"Go, turn around, leave. You don't need any more reminders of her."_

But before she could stop herself, her fingers had brushed along it, and letting out a heartbroken cry, she fell to the ground, clutching the cloak to her chest and weeping uncontrollably.

After a few minutes of unceasing despair, she staggered to her feet, clipping the cloak in place around her shoulders and putting on the hood. She instantly felt warmer, the soft material smooth and comforting to her wind-burnt skin.

It was almost as if Ruby was there, with her, even though she knew she would never actually see the wonderful, caring girl again. A piece of Ruby, to carry to the grave. She smiled softly and stroked the fabric.

A thought occurred to her. If Ruby's cloak was here, then this must be where they had fought the beowolves. It was the only logical explanation. And so, she reasoned, Myrenaster and Crescent Rose must be nearby. She set herself to searching.

After a few minute of digging through the snow, her hands having gone numb long ago, she discovered the corpse of the Alpha, and with a firm tug, managed to remove Myrenaster from it's skull. Smiling gently, she re-sheathed the sword. She would never be whole again, she felt, but she felt a little less empty with the rapier at her side. It had been her constant companion throughout her life, and it had never failed her.

Gazing around, her eyes alighted upon the rock where she had... severed Ruby's arm. She didn't think she could possibly keep crying, but fresh tears found their way onto her face, stinging her cheeks as they were frozen by the biting wind.

The lone boulder was surrounded by trees that seemed dead and withered, and it struck her as fitting. Tentatively, she approached the boulder, and saw Crescent Rose lying up against it. She remembered discarding it in her haste to get Ruby to a hospital.

She weighed her options. She didn't want the extra weight, and carrying around Ruby's weapon would only break her heart more and more with every day, but it would feel wrong to just leave it there, abandoned in the snow. Just like herself.

"The forgotten have to stick together, don't they?" she whispered with a sad smile.

Moving over to Crescent Rose, she retracted it into it's compact sniper rifle form, and slung it over her shoulder. It was heavy, but it somehow felt right.

Lastly, she turned her gaze upon the rock, where Ruby's severed arm lay upon the icy stone. She couldn't just leave it there... could she? Glancing around in indecision, she realized she could hear flowing water over the howling gale. Moving quickly, she followed the sound, and found a small stream a few feet deep threading its way through the alabaster forest. She was amazed that the water was flowing in these temperatures. But the stream presented a perfect opportunity, a way to give Ruby's forgotten arm a proper send-off.

She returned to the stone, hesitantly gathering Ruby's frozen arm in her hands. The black blood that stained the fabric of the sleeve glistened.

She walked over to the riverbank, and stood over it, holding Ruby's arm over the water. After a moment of remembrance, she knelt down and placed it in the water.

_**Earth to flesh, flesh to wood, cast these limbs into the water  
Flesh to wood, wood to stone, cast this stone into the water...**_

She stood on the water's edge and watched as the discarded limb was carried away by the current, vanishing from her sight.

She hoped that in time, like the limb, her memories of Ruby would disappear, and she would be able to feel something, anything again. Because right now, she was numb. Numb, and cold.

Lost in thought, she started walking again, uncaring of her destination. She had to keep moving, it kept her mind slightly occupied. When her mind was allowed to wander, it found its way to dark places, and she couldn't bear any more of that. So she simply strode onwards, disappearing into the monochrome forests of old.

Cold, empty, and forgotten.

* * *

_**Please review! **_


	3. A Desolation Song

**For optimal reading, open up a youtube tab and listen to "In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion" by Agalloch.**

* * *

_**Through vast valleys I wander  
To the highest peaks  
On pathways through a wild forgotten landscape**_

_**Into the lost forsaken endless. . .  
This is where I choose to tread**_

Tall, frozen pines, limbs dusted with snow. Their limbs and boughs played upon their surroundings, casting strange shadows about them. Grey clouds hung overhead, giving the landscape a gloomy aura. The fallen snow underfoot, fresh and undisturbed. The bitter cold made the landscape ever more stark and miserable.

In this forgotten landscape of black and white, a single mote of deep brown moved slowly through the forest. A large bull elk, grazing frozen plants as he walked, king of the forest. Upon his head was a magnificent rack of antlers.

Something caught its eye, a hint of red in the distance. It stood up straight, proud and unbowed, like a god of a time long past.

Ruby Rose let out a long breath, closing one eye and losing herself in the sights of the hunting rifle. She stood stock still, resting the rifle on the thick branch of a nearby pine; she only had one arm. She had grown used to it, however. After all, it had been almost a month since she had set out into the wilderness, intent on finding her wayward girlfriend. It didn't matter how long it took her, she would die before she gave up her search. That didn't mean she was looking for death, however, quite the opposite. And one needed to eat to live. Having used up her food stores long, long ago, Ruby found herself quite thankful for the hunting rifle she carried. It was no Crescent Rose, but it suited her needs for the time being.

Ignoring the snow falling lightly upon her face, she controlled her breathing and began to slowly squeeze the trigger. The elk stood in the distance, observing his surroundings, august and dignified even in his caution.

The trigger fully depressed.

***CRACK***

The gunshot sounded impossibly loud in the silence of the alabaster landscape, echoing through the trees. Ruby knew anyone within a few miles would have heard it. She could only hope that Weiss had, and would come to investigate the disturbance. She knew that it was a forlorn hope, but she clung onto it desperately. Hope was all she had at this point.

The elk dropped to the ground immediately; the round blew its brains out of its skull. A regular hunter would have aimed for the area just above the front pair of legs; that was where its heart was located. But Ruby was not an ordinary hunter. During her days at Beacon, she had grown into one of the most proficient marksmen Vale had ever seen. So she had taken the riskier shot, but the one that would leave the most meat intact.

Letting out a deep breath, Ruby shouldered her rifle with practiced ease, making sure the safety was on. She had struggled with slinging and unslinging the rifle at first, but she had quickly figured out how to do it with only one arm. She had never realized just how great having both arms was; it was something most people took for granted. She missed her right arm sorely, but she didn't blame Weiss for it. If anything, she blamed herself. Sometimes, deep in the bitter nights she endured in these empty mountains, she was tempted to simply let go. She struggled on, however, with the knowledge that she was the only one that could save Weiss, could bring her back home and snuggle up with her and give her hot chocolate and keep her warm by the fire and whisper in her ear at night, and pamper her with hot baths and scented candles and... oh. She was rambling again.

Shaking her head, she returned to reality and started her trek towards her fallen prey. As she walked through the achromatic forest, she reflected on the nature of life and death. How it was that she was alive, and that magnificent elk was not. She knew death followed her as well though, she had had numerous encounters with beowolves, and even an ursa. Needless to say, it was a struggle to battle them off with only one arm. Luckily for her, her semblance still worked fine. She had survived, they were going to have to try harder than that to take Weiss away from her. Even still, she could feel death casting his shadow upon her as she stalked through the forests, a pale companion who never revealed himself.

_**Fall... so shall we fall into the nihil?  
The nothingness that we feel in the arms of the pale  
In the shadow of the grim companion who walks with us**_

Her wandering thoughts finally caught up to her as she reached the fallen elk. She set down her pack, unsheathed her hunting knife, and began to gut the animal. Halfway through, she had to stop and breathe on her hands; they were quickly losing feeling. She had thought she would have grown accustomed to the biting cold by now, but the air somehow seemed to grow colder each day. The bitter days of the last month had been the hardest of her life. It didn't matter to her though. Even though her body was cold, her heart was ablaze. She was filled with love for Weiss like never before, the need to find her and hold her again so selfless, so heartfelt that it kept her warm at night.

_**And as I'm stalked by the shadow of death's hand  
The fire in my heart is forged across the land**_

After a while, she finished gutting the creature and stripping its meat. She stowed what she could carry in her pack. She would have to cook it later. Standing up and gazing at her work, she wiped her knife across the needles of a nearby pine tree, making sure it was clean before placing it back into its sheath at her side. She regretted that she couldn't carry all of its meat with her; the creature was quite large. It felt wasteful, even though she knew wolves, or beowolves even, would discover the carcass before long.

She stood over the elk wistfully, wondering if it had even been aware of its impending death. She knelt down and placed her hand upon its leg, feeling the soft fur and a hint of warmth, fading rapidly in the chill.

"I'm sorry," she whispered to the empty air. "But thank you for providing for me. I will never forget your sacrifice Mr. Elk. May you find peace in... elk heaven. Or wherever it is you go. Um, so yeah. Thanks again. Bye."

That said, she stood up and shouldered her pack, turning towards the north. Further into the mountains, to continue the search. And she hoped, closer to Weiss.

* * *

A couple of hours passed, fairly uneventful. Then, in the distance, she spied something. A white stone wall, man-made, seemingly out-of-place in this land of wood and snow. She couldn't see the rest of the building it belonged to, it was obscured by the white forest. It piqued her infamous curiosity, and she altered her course to head towards it.

_**Here at the edge of this world  
Here I gaze at a pantheon of oak, a citadel of stone  
If this grand panorama before me is what you call God. . .  
Then God is not dead.**_

A few minutes later, she found herself standing in front of a set of large, barred wooden doors, the only apparent entrance into an forgotten white church. It seemed almost monolithic, grand, yet evidently abandoned. Snow covered the roof, and the wooden doors had started rotting with age. Circling around the edge of the building, she stared in wonder at the beauty of its frosted, Gothic architecture. Pointed arches, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses, howling gargoyles, all masterfully crafted in exquisite detail. Someone had certainly spent a lot of time on this church. Reaching the back, she discovered a rear entrance, which was seemingly unbarred. Hesitantly, she reached out for it, and her curiosity got the better of her. Pushing the door open, she was greeted with darkness. The musty scent of ancient tomes rushed out at her, dissipating into the bitter air. Her face took on a determined look, brow furrowed and mouth set into a grim line. Nodding to herself, she stepped inside.

* * *

Many miles away, a pale figure stood on the rocky edge of a frozen lake, content to simply stand alone and bathe in the silence. After three months in the wilderness, she had grown accustomed to it. The snow seemed to muffle everything, and it made the world feel fragile and brittle. Normally she would consider it romantic, but she was still too lovesick.

Weiss shivered, the cold wind biting into her exposed skin. Cold outside, cold inside. Sleep would not come to her; it was more a state of unconsciousness. She had grown used to sleeping with Ruby, and being physically reminded of the emptiness she felt inside by the emptiness next to her when she laid down was more than she could bear. Instead of real sleep, she had taken to walking until she passed out on her feet. It was the only way she could get anything resembling a night's rest.

She had thought that given almost three months, she would have been able to feel slightly better about her decision to leave Ruby. Instead, the longing had only gotten worse, grown more intense. Some days it was so bad that her breath would catch in her throat, and she would be paralyzed for minutes at a time. Panic attacks, she assumed. She had never had them before. So if the pain would not lessen, she figured, she would simply have to shut it out.

And so she had constructed a mental fortress of ice around her heart. The things she did to survive, the paths she walked, most of it was off of instinct alone. She couldn't afford to think. And so, she allowed herself to grow numb. On the inside at least; the wind did a good enough job on the outside that it didn't need any help.

So there she was, Crescent Rose on her back, Myrenaster on her hip, wrapped in Ruby's old red cloak, which was now thoroughly coated with snow. It never failed to keep her warm, however. Even at night, in the bitter chill, it somehow kept her snug and toasty. It reassured her, in its own way. Even if she couldn't have Ruby, she still had a part of her. Was it selfish? Maybe, she concluded. But she felt that she deserved this much, at least. The last wish of a man on death row, per say. It wouldn't be-

***CRACK***

Without warning, a gunshot echoed through the trees, reverberating off of the distant mountain peaks. It was faint and far away, but it still snapped her out of her reverie. On the opposite side of the lake, several red birds took off and scattered into the pale blue sky.

_"Like rose petals..."_ she mused, memories of Ruby trying to break through her carefully constructed walls. _"Ruby... no. Not her. She's safe now, warm and protected in Yang's arms, and she's likely already forgotten about me. About the mess I've made of her life. If only I could forget so easily..."_

Focusing on the situation at hand, she figured she had two options. Given that this was the first sign of another human being that she had seen in almost three months, she weighed them carefully. Option one, she could head towards the gunshot, and track down the shooter. At the very least, it would serve to distract her for a while. On the other hand, did she really want to be reminded of the world she had left behind?

Then there was option two. Head in the opposite direction of the sound. Forget she had heard it, and just continue searching for something strong enough to kill her. She was a Schnee, and she wouldn't give up and take her own life. But that didn't mean that she wanted to continue living like this forever, alone and forgotten, in a state of either unthinking denial or heart-wrenching misery.

Maybe the owner of that rifle would grant her the peace she desired? If she... attacked them, as hard as it was to think of attacking a stranger... they would be forced to defend themselves. If she won, they wouldn't have deserved to be out in this wilderness anyway, and she would be doing them the favor of granting them a quick death. If they won, then she would finally be free. It sounded like a very morbid win-win to her. But a morbid win-win was still a win, and if there was one thing a Schnee liked, it was winning. Back in her days at Beacon, Weiss would have recoiled at the thought of attacking a stranger. But three months alone in the wilderness did strange things to the mind.

Her mind set, she dug into the pockets of her white coat and produced some berries that she had managed to procure earlier, along with some leftover cooked meat from a rabbit she had caught. She would need the energy if she was in for a fight. She realized that the gunshot was many, many miles away, over a tall ridge-line, and she might not even find the shooter anyway. But, she concluded, it was better than wandering around aimlessly.

She began to walk, trying to shut out the tortured whispers in her ears once more.

* * *

There was something transcendent about standing atop a mountain. Whether it made you feel triumphant, because you managed to climb one of natures largest obstacles. Or vulnerable, because you were exposed, high up above everything else, with nothing to cover or obscure you. Whatever it made you feel, there was something special about reaching the peak of a mountain. Distantly, Weiss remember a quote she had once read, while studying in her father's mansion.

_"At bottom, mountains, like all wildernesses, challenge our complacent conviction - so easy to lapse into - that the world has been made for humans by humans. Most of us exist for most of the time in worlds which are humanly arranged, themed and controlled. One forgets that there are environments which do not respond to the flick of a switch or the twist of a dial, and which have their own rhythms and orders of existence. Mountains correct this amnesia. By speaking of greater forces than we can possibly invoke, and by confronting us with greater spans of time than we can possibly envisage, mountains refute our excessive trust in the man-made. They pose profound questions about our durability and the importance of our schemes." - Robert Mcfarlane._

The sky was a dark grey, almost purple, and black clouds lurked on the horizon. A storm in the making. The shadowy clouds cast a dark pall over everything, making the mountainside seem dark and malevolent. She shifted her boots, digging them deeper into the snow, subconsciously afraid of being carried away by the cruel wind. Standing there, on that mountaintop, exposed and vulnerable, Weiss Schnee questioned her existence.

Did she deserve what fate had cast upon her? Did she deserve to be alone, afraid, and forgotten? And then she had an epiphany, of a sort. She realized that long after she was dead, the snow would continue falling, the wind would keep blowing, and this grey mountain would still stand, imposing and grim in its countenance. Such thoughts were humbling.

_"Now that I've been torn apart, will there be an end to this? Will there finally be release? Will I finally rest in peace?"_

Maybe not, but the world would keep turning without her. There was a grim solemnity to that. No one cared about her fate, and she began to accept that. Reluctantly, she returned her mind to the task at hand. Find the shooter.

She gazed out over the frozen woods, looking for anything out of the ordinary, anything that drew the eye. Strangely, as if she momentarily lost control of her body, she felt her eyes drift towards a distant part of the forest, and settle upon a strange white protrusion that stood out from the treetops with its artificial appearance. She shook her head rapidly to clear her mind; she had never felt anything like that before. It was almost like an otherworldly force had guided her vision, taken control of her eyes. She blinked a few times, then tried to locate the white monolith again... There it was, in the same spot as before. How strange.

Squinting her eyes, she could barely make out its shape. It appeared to be a... a church steeple?

_"How curious,"_ she thought. Who would build a church in the middle of this forsaken wilderness? The gunshot had sounded from that general direction too, so she figured it would be as good a place as any to start her search. With luck, she would reach it before the storm did. She didn't want to be caught out in the open when that monster of a cloud formation struck.

Carefully, she began her descent down the mountainside, eager to leave the exposed peak.

A white church in the middle of a white forest, smack dab in the middle of nowhere. How strange.

* * *

In a white church in the middle of a white forest, smack dab in the middle of nowhere, Ruby sat by the fire she had made in the church's vestry, a small but cozy room located behind the neglected altar. The vestry was dark and covered in cob-webs and dust, but Ruby had gathered up some firewood to try and make it a little warmer. Conveniently, the floor had been ripped up in some places, and there was a large patch of dirt in the center of the room. The perfect size for making a fire, without worrying about burning the building down. Earlier, she had glanced outside and seen giant, purple-black clouds. With no other choice, she had decided to hole up in the church for the night. But that didn't mean she couldn't be comfortable while doing it.

So there she sat, warmed by the fire, strumming an old dusty guitar that she had found in a crate, sipping on an aged wine she had discovered in the same place, fondly recalling her life with Weiss. And that life wasn't over, she reassured herself. It wouldn't be over unless something managed to kill her. She _would_ find Weiss.

She strummed the strings of the decrepit guitar, playing a tune that her Uncle Qrow had taught her, long, long ago.

* * *

**Change of song. The lyrics will now be from "A Desolation Song" by Agalloch. This is the song that inspired me to write this whole story in the first place. **

* * *

_**Here I sit at the fire  
Liquor's bitter flames warm my languid soul  
Here I drink alone and remember  
A graven life, the stain of her memory  
In this cup, love's poison  
For love is the poison of life  
Tip the cup, feed the fire,  
And forget about useless fucking hope. . .**_

**_Lost in the desolation of love_**  
**_The passions we reap and sow_**  
**_Lost in the desolation of life_**  
**_This path that we walk. . ._**

**_Here's to love, the sickness_**  
**_The great martyr of the soul_**  
**_Here's to life, the vice_**  
**_The great herald of misery_**  
**_In this cup, spiritus frumenti_**  
**_For this is the nectar of the spirit_**  
**_Quench the thirst, drown the sorrow_**  
**_And forget about cold yesterdays. . ._**

**_Lost in the desolation of love_**  
**_The passions we reap and sow_**  
**_Lost in the desolation of life_**  
**_This path that we walk. . ._**

Ruby finished strumming the last few chords of the song, and set the guitar down. Taking one last sip of the wine, which was quite good, she capped it and placed it by the guitar as well. She shifted, and struggled into her large black sleeping bag, which she had already set up by the fire. Getting into a sleeping bag was actually pretty difficult when you only had one arm.

Finally comfortable, she simply watched the fire, letting its cartwheeling sparks and flickering embers lull her to sleep. The snap and crackle of the wood was soothing, and it shut out the noise of the howling wind outside.

Slowly, her eyelids drooped shut, and she drifted off into the realm of dreams, smiling softly. Her dreams were better than her reality. Because there, she could be with Weiss again.

* * *

The blizzard howled around Weiss like a screaming demon, blasting her with hurtling snow, sometimes brutal hail, and sometimes freezing rain.

"Augh! Just make up your mind already!" she screamed at the storm. It shifted again, this time sending hail pellets the size of pennies at her. Lightning flashed in the distance, somehow piercing the gloom of the snow, and seconds later a massive booming sound echoed across the mountainside.

_"Lightning in a blizzard? Why not, I guess. Just throw whatever you have at me, world,"_ she thought with a sigh.

She had barely made it into the foothills of the mountain when the storm struck; it had been moving faster than she had predicted. She clutched Ruby's cloak around herself as tightly as she could; luckily it was thick enough to keep her safe from the worst of it all. She smiled sadly at the thought. Even now, even after what she'd done, Ruby was still here, keeping her warm and safe. Dust, how she missed the effervescent brown-haired girl.

She struggled onwards through the snow, putting one foot in the front of the other, keeping her head down and her posture hunched over, while the wind blew her left and right with cruel abandon. She couldn't see where she was going, there was no real way to, but something pulled her inexorably onward. Like a lighthouse beam piercing through the fog, she could see the church in her mind, instinctively _felt_ the way to go to reach it. She felt like something was calling her there, some unseen force, maybe another aura. It would have to be particularly strong to reach her through this howling blizzard, however. With no other choice than to follow it, she pushed on.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally spied the white stone walls of the church through a momentary lull in the storm. Scanning the structure, she couldn't see any entrances. Then, something else caught her eye, and she froze. A solitary beowolf, prowling the edges of the building, sniffing at the air. Weiss moved slowly, lowering herself to the ground and attempting to keep a low profile. She decided to observe the creature, for now, to see if it could find a way into the building. Luckily for her, the howling blizzard did a fine job of concealing her from the beast. It turned its head in her direction and sniffed the air, and she froze.

After a few seconds however, it turned its head back towards the church and continued its search. Weiss let out her held breath. Maintaining a safe distance, she followed the beowolf as it reached the front of the church, and the barred wooden doors of the main entrance. It stopped in front of them and sniffed at them.

Weiss raised an eyebrow quizzically, wondering what it was going to do next. Apparently the beast had smelt something, because it jerked its head up and let out a wild howl, audible even over the storm. It jumped forward and began tearing at the wood, sending rotten splinters flying left and right in a bestial frenzy. If the wood had been solid and structurally sound, Weiss doubted the creature could have just torn its way in, but as things were it was doing a pretty decent job at breaking and entering.

Half of her wanted to intervene, while the other half wanted to stay back and observe. If there was someone in there, she figured, she could simply wait until the beast had torn open the entrance for her, and then kill it immediately after. That way she would have a way in, and if there was someone inside, she wouldn't be abandoning them to their deaths. As bitter as she was at herself and the world as a whole, standing idly by while a person was eaten by a beowolf wouldn't sit well with her conscience. She was still technically a Huntress, after all. So she drew Myrtenaster and waited.

* * *

_Ruby sighed and pulled Weiss closer to her, breathing in the scent of snow and frozen winter flowers. They were laying back in their room at Beacon, taking a well-deserved nap together after a long day of classes. The sun was still shining outside, but the blinds were drawn and the room was cool and dark. Yang and Blake had already left for parts unknown. For now, it was just the two of them, both lost in each-others embrace. Weiss shifted, turning around and facing Ruby, pressing a soft kiss to the brunette's lips. The heiress wrapped her arms around her girlfriend and held on tightly, as if she was afraid to let go. And if she was being honest, she was. Ruby didn't mind, however, and giggled lightly as she felt Weiss squeeze her midsection. Ruby pressed a kiss to Weiss' forehead, then to her left cheek, right cheek, chin, collarbone, and then finally lips, the heiress moaning involuntarily._

_"I love you Weiss," Ruby whispered._

_"I love you more," replied Weiss. "Now wake up."_

_Ruby looked confused. "Wait, hwaa-?"_

_"Ruby, wake up."_

_"But... but if I do... you'll be gone..."_

_"Ruby, wake up! You can come back to me later, I promise. Just please, wake up, for me?"_

_The brunette sighed, and opened her eyes._

* * *

Ruby jolted awake, and the first thing she heard was the unmistakable howl of a beowolf, and a loud wrenching sound coming from the front of the church.

"Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap," she muttered, as she flung herself out of her sleeping bag and grabbed her hunting rifle, bracing it against a nearby wall and pulling the bolt back to check if there was a round in the chamber. Luckily, she had slept prepared, and there was. She pulled on her grey trench-coat, took a deep breath to collect her thoughts, then ran out of the vestry into the church proper. She stood by the altar for a moment, and gazed around at the ruin of the church around her.

The nave was just as run-down as the rest of the building, the rows of pews, all twenty of them, were rotted and ancient, and the altar was simply a stone block with no adornment. The roof was high above her, its details lost in darkness. There were beautiful stained glass windows, depicting Hunters and Huntresses battling Grimm, but they had holes in them, and snow blew in with the howling wind. There were even small stones missing from the walls, allowing glimpses of the storm outside. In the back of her head, she realized she could use those to her advantage, to see if someone was sneaking around the outside of the church. It would be too dark for them to look inside, but she could see out quite fine. She caught herself wondering again who had built the church, and why they had abandoned it. The tearing sound grew louder and more intense, and she refocused on the situation at hand. Judging by the sounds, there was only one beowolf. Hopefully.

"Pfft. Like I'd ever get that lucky..." she mumbled.

She figured one of the pews closer to the altar would give her good cover, and afford her enough distance to pick off however many beowolves rushed through the door. Scrambling behind a pew three from the front, she propped the rifle up on the pew in front of her, using it in place of her missing arm. She thumbed the safety off and took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the shot.

"Let them come..." she whispered. "There is one huntress yet in this church who still draws breath..."

* * *

It didn't take long for the beowolf to break through the barred entrance, and as it pushed away the broken pieces of wood and started to enter, Weiss drew Myrenaster and prepared a glyph behind her, to catapult her towards the creature.

_"Wait for it..."_

Howling in triumph, the beast tore away the last piece of wood in its way and prepared to leap inside.

_"Now!"_

***CRACK***

A gunshot sounded, exactly the same as the one beforehand, and the beast was thrown backwards, a gaping hole where its head used to be. Weiss froze. The storm howled on, uncaring of the events transpiring within it.

_"Well, that clears up the issue of finding the shooter. I wonder if they're a full-fledged hunter?" _

A number of possibilities ran through her head. They could be a hunter, they could be a criminal on the run, they could be White Fang, they could be anything. But most importantly, they could give her the death she was too proud to give herself. She had searched for death for months, but it had always escaped her, or the other way around. She had found nothing in the wilderness capable of ending her miserable existence, but she believed she had finally found the solution.

_"This man has slain a beowolf. And as such, he is worthy of taking my life. All I have to do is step into the open door with my weapon drawn, and I will surely end up like that beast." _

She moved closer to the open entrance, staying pressed against the side wall, making sure not to reveal herself too early. Lighting flashed through the storm.

Was she ready to die? What a preposterous question. She had been ready to die for the past two months, this was just the culmination of her efforts. Thinking back on her life, she reflected on what a lonely journey of isolation and anguish it had been. She had grown up in solitude, only talking to her parents when they returned home, and even then it was purely business. She had never had friends, or even acquaintances. She had been the proverbial princess, locked away in the tallest tower. Even going to Beacon had only been a means to advance her social standing, for "the good of the company." But there, in the unlikeliest of places, she had found her happiness. The single bright point in her life, the only source of comfort, Ruby Rose. The girl had meant everything to her, she had become Weiss' entire life. She had given up her inheritance, her lineage, _everything_ for the girl. And then even she was torn away from her.

Fitting that it should end here then, in an abandoned church, deep in the uncharted wilderness of the Tural mountains. She took off Ruby's cloak and folded it, placing it in her pocket. She would not sully it by dying while wearing it, letting it be stained by the ground she fell upon. She straightened her grey trench-coat, smoothing out the wrinkles in it. A Schnee would not die looking like some common peasant. She took a deep breath and held Myrenaster at the ready. If the shooter missed their first shot, they would be in for a fight. She would give them this one chance, but she would not be so lenient if they proved themselves unworthy of her death. Thunder boomed all around her, reverberating off of the stone walls.

She took one last deep breath, and prepared to step into the entrance.

* * *

Ruby sighed and lowered her rifle, eyes fixed on the smoking corpse of the beowolf lying in the snow just beyond the entrance. Just as she was about to relax, something caught her eye. A spot of white, not snow, moving quickly past one of the holes in the walls. From the quick glimpse she caught, she was able to make out a belt and a buckle. That meant a coat. And that meant that there was someone else out there. Beowolves didn't wear creamy white, much less coats.

Ruby didn't know what this persons intentions were, or what they had planned for her. But if they hadn't made themselves known already, they probably didn't have anything friendly planned. Humans were different from Grimm, you couldn't just aim at the door and wait for them to stand in front of it. No, they probably had something else in mind. Her best bet, she decided, would be to hide behind the pew, and ambush them when they drew close. She would have the advantage of surprise, and if need be, she could subdue them. Wait, scratch that, she only had one arm. She would be at an incredible disadvantage in hand-to-hand combat. Well, that left only one option.

She would wait until they drew close, surprise them, and shoot them. That is, if they didn't announce their presence before then.

Moving as quietly as possible, she ducked down behind the pew, and waited.

* * *

Weiss stepped into the entrance, squeezing her eyes shut and bracing herself for the shot.

Silence.

1... 2... 3...

At the count of five, she opened her eyes. The shot never came. She stared into the darkness of the church's interior, unflinching. Well if they didn't want to shoot her, she was going to have to force them. They _would_ grant her the death she deserved.

Stepping cautiously into the church, she held Myrtenaster at the ready, her feet crunching on broken glass. She paused for a second, letting her eyes adjust to the gloom. As soon as she had stepped inside, the sound of the storm changed; it became muted and distant. The silence in the nave of the abandoned church was palpable.

She gazed around, taking in her surroundings. The church was definitely abandoned, but it still somehow maintained an air of dignity and solemnity.

No sign of the shooter, however. Maybe they were move clever than she had initially assumed. Perhaps they were waiting for her to stroll down the aisle... well, who was she to throw a wrench in their carefully laid plans? Stepping lightly, this time avoiding the shattered stained glass on the floor, she moved down the aisle. She moved slowly, checking behind each pew as she passed it. She doubted they'd be stupid enough to try hiding behind one, but people did all kinds of questionable things.

In the back of her mind, she sensed... a presence in the room, and it felt almost familiar. Strange.

She passed the 10th pew, then the 11th, then the 12th. She passed the 13th, the 14th, the 15th. Next was the 16th. She let out a deep breath that she hadn't realized she was holding.

* * *

Ruby crouched behind the 17th pew, listening to the approaching footsteps. They were close, she realized. She wrapped her hand tighter around the grip of the hunting rifle, and let out a deep breath she hadn't realized she was holding. They were almost on her. She braced herself.

* * *

Weiss reached the 16th pew, glancing left and right, making sure it was empty on both sides. Next was the 17th. She stepped further into the darkness of the church.

* * *

They were right on top of her, Ruby realized. This was it, time to make her move. All or nothing. She would _not_ die here, she still had to find Weiss.

* * *

Weiss took one more step, then halted, careful not to make any sudden movements. There, crouched to her left, behind the 17th pew, was a pair of black boots.

_"Amateur." _

Maybe this wasn't the person destined to take her life. No matter. She would fight them either way. One last time, Weiss imagined her girlfriend's honest, beautiful face. Fair skin, brown hair, grey eyes. Myrenaster at the ready, she advanced towards them.

* * *

Smiling softly, Ruby imagined her girlfriend's gorgeous, perfect face. Pale skin, white hair, blue eyes.

_"You're gonna have to try harder than this to keep me away from Weiss buddy. Lets see how you like a bullet in the head... Go time."_

Ruby checked the safety on the rifle one last time, and prepared to spring her trap.

* * *

_"Have at you, wretch."_

Weiss sprung forward, Myrtenaster held in front of her.

* * *

Sensing movement, Ruby sprang up, holding the rifle steady with one arm, sights centered directly on the intruder's face. Pale skin, white hair, blue eyes. Time froze, and she froze with it.

* * *

Weiss lunged towards her opponent, who had jumped up from behind the pew. She glared at them as she charged, to fix their face in her memory. Fair skin, brown hair, grey eyes. Time froze, and she froze with it.

* * *

The two of them stood there for a moment, only a few feet between them, staring at each other. Both unwilling to believe what they saw.

Ruby was the first to move, dropping her rifle to the stone floor with a loud clatter. It made Weiss flinch. Slowly, hesitantly, she reached her one good arm out towards Weiss. The white-haired woman haltingly lowered her rapier, shock and disbelief in her eyes.

_"Not fair..."_ she thought in despair. _"It's not fair... why does it have to be her, why does she have to be the one to torment me like this? I just want this all to be over!"_

Ruby looked deep into Weiss' eyes, overjoyed beyond measure. But then, something gave her pause. She saw something else in the other girls eyes._ Fear._

_"Run,"_ Weiss' mind screamed at her. _"Get away, she hates you, run, get out!"_

"Weiss..." Ruby said her name as a question, with all the love and concern she could muster.

That did it. Hearing her voice after so long, _so damn long. _Instead of loathing, instead of hatred, instead of contempt, there was only love in her tone. She couldn't handle that, she knew she would never be deserving of such undying love, such selfless adoration. She would never be worthy.

She turned to run, tears streaming from her eyes.

But before she could, an arm shot out and grabbed her shoulder, latching on with an iron grip. Weiss tried to shrug it off and escape, but before she could it pulled her backwards into a one-armed embrace, Ruby wrapping her one good arm around Weiss' chest. With that single touch, the white-haired girl felt the icy walls she had built around her heart shatter.

Weiss sobbed loudly, struggling and writhing to escape, but Ruby held on. She held on with all the strength she had. Her eyes blank and expressionless, Ruby sat down, leaning against the pew, pulling Weiss down with her.

Weiss continued to resist, but as the moments passed, she struggled less and less, her actions becoming less and less determined.

They sat there like that for a while, Ruby clutching Weiss tightly in her lap with one arm, while the storm raged outside.

Weiss continued weeping, and eventually she shifted herself around so that she was crying into Ruby's shoulder. She dropped Myrenaster, and wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist, clenching fistfuls of Ruby's coat. Thoughtfully, Ruby shrugged off her trench-coat, exposing a black long-sleeved shirt with holes in it. Weiss clung to it even tighter than before, digging her fingers into Ruby's pale skin. Ruby simply held her close, neither of them speaking a word.

Weiss wanted to slap herself awake, to shake herself out of this horribly wonderful dream, but deep down she knew it was real. The sound of Ruby's heartbeat thump-thumping away proved that. It was the most beautiful, soothing, calming sound she had ever heard in her entire life. All of the emotions she had locked away during the past two months were rushing out in a flood, and she was powerless to stop them. She hadn't thought it was possible to cry this much. Worst of all, she couldn't tell if her tears were of sadness or joy. Perhaps both. She didn't dare to let herself hope that Ruby still loved her, but while the brunette held her tight for whatever reason, she was going to let herself become lost in that embrace. Even if it only made Ruby's eventual rejection all the more painful, this was worth it, right here, right now. She didn't want this to end, so she would let Ruby make the first move to push her away. But until that happened, she would stay right here, in the perfect embrace of her first, last, and one true love. Dust, she was so warm... after being bitterly cold for what felt like an eternity, Ruby's warmth was simply intoxicating. It filled her completely, warming her bones and her heart with them. She felt almost transcendent.

After a few minutes of heartfelt sobbing, Weiss felt her tears stop flowing. She still sniffed, and her eyes were red and puffy, but the worst was over. And she dreaded what Ruby would inevitably do next. Beneath her, she felt Ruby begin to shift, and her heart seized up in terror. She desperately didn't want to be abandoned again, but there was nothing she could do about it. She braced for the worst, and impossibly, more tears threatened to spill out.

And then Ruby did the last thing she expected. She stood up, taking Weiss with her in a one-armed bridal carry. Dust, Ruby was strong! A one-armed bridal carry!? Weiss felt herself slipping off of Ruby's arm, so she wrapped her arms around Ruby's neck, pressing herself into the brunette as deeply as she could. She didn't know what Ruby was doing, but she wasn't going to do or say anything that might change her mind.

Ruby said nothing, and simply strode onwards. This time though, there was a beautiful smile on her face, warm and heartfelt beyond measure. Weiss couldn't help but smile back. She realized that this was the first time she had smiled in months. It almost hurt, but it was the best pain possible.

Without any sign of struggle, Ruby carried Weiss into the vestry, and gently laid her down on top of a large black sleeping bag.

Then, it finally happened. What Weiss had been dreading. Without a word, Ruby turned and walked out of the room. Weiss stretched out her arm, reaching for her, trying to say something, anything... but words failed her. She bit back another sob.

And that was that, she realized. Ruby was gone. She hated Weiss, and could never forgive her. Yet even after all she had done to the brunette, Ruby had been there for her when she was at her most vulnerable, and even given her what was apparently the girl's only sleeping bag. In her heart of hearts, Weiss knew she would never be able to repay Ruby for everything she had done for her. Even though watching her walk away was the most painful thing she had ever experienced, she tempered the pain with the knowledge that somehow, Ruby still cared for her, even if only a little. That made it all a tiny bit more bearable.

Weiss shut her eyes slowly, still sitting on Ruby's black sleeping bag. She clenched the material with her fingers and took a deep breath. She fought to calm her racing emotions, her pounding heart. And then she heard footsteps.

She snapped her eyes back open to see Ruby walk back into the room, Crescent Rose and the hunting rifle over her shoulder, and Myrenaster in her grasp. Her face still had that warm smile, and she gazed at Weiss like the former heiress was the most precious thing on the face of the planet.

Weiss couldn't believe her eyes. She just stared at Ruby in shock, watching the brunette as she walked over to the remains of a fire. Ruby picked up some of the firewood she had stacked earlier, and placed it on the ashes of the previous flame. Producing a pack of matches from her back pocket, she struck one against the outside of the pack and held it close to the wood, doing her best to shield it from the cold. The wind didn't reach into this room, thankfully, but it was still bone-achingly frigid.

With a spark of light, the flame jumped to life and quickly spread over the rest of the logs. Warmth began to flow into the room. Ruby smiled, and blew out the match. Then she turned back towards Weiss, who had been watching her in disbelief.

Maybe... maybe Ruby wasn't going to leave? No, she cursed. She couldn't allow herself to hope. She couldn't allow herself to trust again. Yet Ruby hadn't left yet, and with every passing second, Weiss grew more and more uncertain. And then the brunette surprised her even further.

Ruby knelt down in the corner of the room by an old guitar and unlaced her boots, then took them off. Surprisingly dexterously too, for a girl with only one arm. Then she took off her long-sleeved shirt as well, and then even her pants, leaving her clad only in a black bra and panties.

Weiss felt the blood rush to her cheeks, and her breathing grew heavy. This was nothing she hadn't seen before, but after three months? The sight of Ruby's bare skin was... heavenly. Why was the brunette torturing her like this?

Ruby, with that same accursed sweet smile on her face, walked over to Weiss and pulled off the girls white coat.

"R-Ruby, what in the world are you doing?!" Weiss nearly screeched, an expression of confusion on her face.

Ruby simply gazed at her, their eyes meeting, and Ruby's grey orbs seemed to ask, "trust me?"

After a few seconds, Weiss nodded haltingly.

Ruby continued, pulling Weiss' white blouse off and helping her out of her frost-covered trousers. Soon, Weiss too was left in only her underwear. She stood there shivering in the cold; the fire hadn't warmed the room just yet.

Before she could ask Ruby what in the world she was planning on doing, the brunette wrapped her arm around Weiss' midriff and pulled her down, onto the open sleeping bag.

"Wha- Ruby-"

Her only reply was a heartfelt smile. Then Ruby's plan dawned on her. She wanted to sleep together, in the sleeping bag. Not willing to believe her own thoughts, Weiss simply trusted in Ruby, and let the brunette slide them both into the black sleeping bag.

Ruby zipped up the bag, and it began to grow warm with their combined body heat. Weiss quickly stopped shivering, and she hesitantly wrapped her arms around Ruby's waist, as if asking if it was okay to do so. Ruby responded by wrapping her own arm tightly around Weiss' back, pulling her as close as possible. Their legs tangled together, and Weiss could feel Ruby's heart beating against her own, their chests pressed together. Weiss couldn't really comprehend what was happening, and she didn't really want to, not yet at least. All she knew was that Ruby hadn't left yet, the warmth and the sensation of her skin upon Weiss' own was exhilarating, and that they were together.

They were... _together_. After _so_ long...

Weiss buried her face in the crook of the taller girl's neck, and tried not to cry.

The fire was warm, and filled the room with a cozy orange light. The storm howled and blew outside. Crescent Rose and Myrenaster sat side by side, leaning against each-other as they sat up against the wall. And Ruby and Weiss cuddled together in that warm sleeping bag, one amazed that she had finally found the other, and one amazed that the other hadn't pushed her away. Whatever the reasons, they held each other as if it was the first and last time they would ever do so.

After Weiss had calmed down a little more, Ruby shifted, reaching her arm down and gently grasping Weiss' chin, lifting her face to meet Ruby's own. Weiss bit her bottom lip in uncertainty. They gazed into each others eyes; Ruby's storm-cloud grey orbs were full of love and care, but posed a question. Weiss' icy blue eyes were different, hesitant and uncertain, but trusting. And that unspoken trust answered Ruby's unspoken question.

Leaning forward slightly, Ruby captured Weiss' lips with her own.

_"Will she return the kiss?"_ Ruby had wondered.

It took Weiss only an instant, but to her it almost felt like an eternity. The former heiress, that wonderful, stubborn, prideful girl, Ruby's one and only love, returned the kiss.

Weiss tilted her head and leaned into it with all the passion and love she could muster. She wasn't worried, wasn't afraid any more. Everything Ruby had done had led up to this conclusion, but this last act of love made it certain.

Somehow, some way, _impossibly_, Ruby still... loved her.

The realization rocked her to her core, and she felt the shattered pieces of her heart begin to piece themselves back together. It would take a long time, but at least the process had started. At least she had _hope_ again.

She moaned into the kiss, maintaining it as long as she was able. It figured, Ruby was still able to outlast her. Weiss was forced to break it off, when her lungs began to scream at her for air. She ignored them as long as possible.

They broke apart, and a wild grin found its way to Weiss' face. Ruby smiled back in return, and giggled lightly.

"Hey Weiss. Guess what you dolt?" Ruby whispered, the first thing she had said since breathing Weiss' name. She was unwilling to break the comfortable silence in the room.

"What?" Weiss gasped. "You can't call me that, only I can call you that and only when-"

Ruby leaned in closer, until her lips were pressed to Weiss' ear.

"I love you."

Weiss was stunned into silence. She just looked at Ruby, uncomprehending. Then, the words finally hit her. Trembling, she cupped both of Ruby's cheeks, and began kissing her wildly, pressing her lips to Ruby's again and again. This went on for a while, Ruby returning the kisses with just as much fervor and love.

Eventually the kisses slowed down, both in frequency and urgency, but they remained just as passionate and heartfelt as before.

"I love you too, so much, more than I can ever say. Thank you..." Weiss finally whispered back, in between kisses.

"So don't say it." replied Ruby. "Just show me."

And so they held each other close, lost in each others embrace, kissing each other softly and slowly, again, and again, and again.

Ruby didn't want to fall asleep, and neither did Weiss. Because now, reality was finally better than their dreams.

Slowly, Weiss felt her life begin anew.

* * *

**I hope this makes up for all the sad stuff beforehand. More fluff to come, don't worry. Also, I edited Chapter 2 so that it's Weiss who makes the decision to leave, not Yang. I realized being that harsh was a little OOC of Yang, so I changed it a bit. Weiss would never let Yang make life decisions for her, so she had to be the one that decides to leave Ruby.**

**Please review!**


	4. Along the Grain - Finale

Ruby awoke slowly, gradually becoming aware of her surroundings. She smiled as she felt a warm body pressed up against her own. Keeping her eyes shut, she pulled Weiss just a little closer. No matter that they were a month's trek into the Tural mountains, no matter that she only had one arm. She had Weiss back, and that was the only thing she needed. Plus, the two of them being alone in the frozen mountains, sharing the warmth of a fire and a sleeping bag was romantic in its own way.

Judging from the lack of light coming from the doorway that led to the main area of the church, she assumed that night had fallen. And still, the blizzard had not let up. Not that it mattered. Weiss was warm and safe, and where she belonged. In Ruby's arms.

Enjoying the peaceful feelings of love and warmth that enveloped her heart, she opened her eyes. Weiss was still asleep, her beautiful white hair splayed over her and Ruby's upper bodies. The brunette absently began playing with it, twirling it around her fingers, relishing how silky and delicate it was.

Surprisingly, Ruby realized, she was still feeling tired. She hadn't gotten much sleep during the past month, only stopping to rest when she absolutely had to. She had searched tirelessly. Now that she and Weiss were together though, they had all the time in the world. She wondered what would happen if they stayed up here forever, and forgot about the world back home. The prospect sounded quite nice.

_"Ooh, but then how am I gonna get cookies? I can't make those up here... and then there's Yang..."_

Ruby sighed as she watched the fire burn itself out; she was still unsure about how she should handle Yang. Now that she had found Weiss, her anger towards her sister had certainly lessened, but the disappointment at her actions remained. She could be so selfish sometimes, so hellbent on protecting Ruby that she sometimes ended up worsening the situation instead of helping it. And this had been the worst case of it yet. Ruby realized she would need some time to forgive Yang. But she knew she still had to return, to let Yang know she was alive and alright. When everything was said and done, they were still sisters, and Yang _had_ essentially raised her after all.

_"Still, she wouldn't be able to complain if me and Weiss took our time getting back..."_

She felt the other girl shift beneath her, adjusting herself into a more comfortable position. Ruby noted with satisfaction that their bodies fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Weiss' eyelids fluttered open, and she looked startled for a moment, as if she hadn't expected to wake up next to Ruby. When her mind caught up to her surroundings though, she closed her eyes again and breathed a soft sigh of relief.

"Morning gorgeous."

A muffled "mmph" was the only reply.

"Aww, is my wittle Weissy still tired?"

The girl in question raised her head, dark shadows under her eyes and her bangs strewn across her face.

"You know better than to call me that."

"Call you what? I have noooo idea what you're talking about," Ruby said with a knowing grin.

"You know," Weiss muttered, leaning forward and narrowing her eyes. "Exactly what I'm talking about.

"Princess, I just crossed hundreds of miles of mountains, searched thousands of acres of forests, and even battled an Ursa with _one_ arm to find you." Ruby gently pressed the tip of her finger against Weiss' chest. "So for now, I get to call you, ***poke*** whatever. ***poke*** I. ***poke*** Want."

Weiss simply huffed in resignation and pressed her forehead against Ruby's, unwilling to admit defeat. They stayed like that for a few minutes, reveling in the fact that they were finally together again.

"You know," Ruby said slyly, "waking up to you is like when other people get to sleep in and just keep dreaming."

Weiss blushed a little, but reached her hand up and gave Ruby's forehead a light flick.

"Good to have the old Weiss back." Ruby giggled lightly. "I missed you ya know? I really... missed you a lot..."

Weiss was silent for a few moments, unsure of exactly how to respond. Instead, she settled for placing a light, but lingering kiss upon Ruby's lips. Even after so long, the touch of Weiss' lips were electric to Ruby, sending tingles of pleasure throughout her whole body.

"I missed you too... but I thought you would... that you would..."

Weiss cursed herself as she struggled with her pride. Even after everything that happened, could she still not bring herself to admit that she had been wrong? Was she that messed up inside?

"Weiss, are you okay? You seem... tense."

All it took was one glance into Ruby's eyes. Ruby's patient, caring eyes, and all of her doubts and hesitation vanished, blown away by her partners simple trust. She shifted in Ruby's embrace, circling her arms a little tighter around the brunette's waist, as if admitting it would cause Ruby to reject her. She knew by now that it wouldn't, but still...

"I thought you would hate me."

There. She had finally said it.

Ruby's eyes grew wide with concern, and she opened her mouth to object, but Weiss placed a single finger over it.

"Before you say anything, let me finish. This is something I need to do."

Ruby looked hesitant at first, but after a few seconds she nodded slowly.

"When you were in the coma... all I could think about was what life without you would be like _for me_. And no matter how I looked at it, what angle I analyzed it at, no matter what, it simply wasn't a world I wanted to live in. I thought about what losing you would do to me. I hated it, but I couldn't really help myself. If you ever died... I don't think I'd have the strength to keep living. I say that from the bottom of my heart. "

She took a deep breath.

"But what I didn't think about... was what the accident would do to you. I mean, I had thought about it for a bit, but it never really occurred to me. I never realized that... that you wouldn't be able to be a Huntress ever again. And then, when Yang came in, and... scolded me, she said a lot of things. She made me see that it was true, no matter how much I wanted to deny it. Your career as a Huntress was over. And she said more. She said that you would hate me because of it, that you wouldn't want to see me again. And I don't know if it was because of my... fragile emotional state, or just that she brought up these fears that I had been holding in, or something else but... but I believed her. So... I left. I thought that without me, you'd be able to let go. You'd be able to move on, get a new job, live a normal life. Yang would protect you and keep you safe; something that I obviously can't do."

"Speaking of Yang-" Ruby started to say.

"Hush, we'll deal with that later. Let me finish."

Ruby nodded, suitably chastised.

Weiss felt herself relax more and more as she talked. After 3 months of bottling everything up, she was finally able to let it all go. Earlier today, and now, she vented out every last bit of her repressed feelings and worries.

"I hoped that somewhere deep down, you still loved me. I never believed it would be true, however. But, once again, you've proven me wrong."

Ruby grinned at her, and Weiss chuckled. "You do that a lot, you know? Prove me wrong?"

"Oh? Like when?" Ruby asked sincerely.

"Well, remember when we first met? I thought you were a foolish, immature, naive little brat."

Ruby stuck out her tongue at Weiss, but then the older girl did something Ruby hadn't expected.

She leaned her head forward and bit down lightly, trapping Ruby's tongue with her teeth. Moving her own tongue, she lightly licked the tip of the other girls, and Ruby moaned a little.

Weiss let go, a smug grin on her face.

"Not fair..." Ruby grumbled.

"You didn't let me finish, you dolt. I _thought_ you were foolish, immature, naive little brat, but I was _wrong_."

"Ooh you just admitted you were wrong! Brain, record!"

"What?"

"I make my brain keep a little recording when you admit you're wrong, cuz it happens, like, never."

Weiss stared at her, unamused. "So your brain is a video camera now?"

"It can be if I want it to be," Ruby shot back, a warm smile on her face. "Anywayyy, you were saying about me proving you wrong?"

"Ugh. Anyway, yes, you proved me wrong about my initial assumption of you. And then, when we wound up as partners, I figured that at best, I'd be able to _tolerate_ you for four years. Proved me wrong there, I couldn't tolerate you. Well, not that I couldn't tolerate you, I just couldn't tolerate... simply being your partner. I... I wanted more."

Weiss sighed, it was still difficult for her to bare her heart, the most precious thing she had. She knew she could trust Ruby absolutely, but still, she was naturally hesitant about letting people get close to her. She knew that it would get easier with time. Ruby was infinitely patient with her, and had helped her down the path of intimacy slowly but surely. Yet another thing Weiss would forever be indebted to her partner for.

" I... f-fell in love with you instead. And on that same note, I thought that I was straight, that there was no way a Schnee could ever be gay. Proved me wrong there too. I even tried to push you away! I thought that if I shut you out and ignored you, you'd get fed up with me and start to resent me. But even then you... you never stopped being kind, and thoughtful, and you never stopped trying to get close to me. So once again, you proved me wrong. I thought that we would never be able to make this relationship last, I was the heiress of the largest supplier of Dust in the world, and you would always be just a Huntress. Forbidden love and all, you know. Proved me wrong. I never thought I would love someone below my status. Proved me wrong. And here, I never believed that you would find it in your heart to love me again. Once more, you proved me _wrong_."

"Uh, technically," Ruby interrupted, "I didn't really "find it in my heart" to love you again. See, to do that, I would have had have stopped loving you in the first place," Ruby finished with a smile.

Weiss was thrown off track for a moment, stunned by Ruby's blatant honesty. _Dust_, how she loved this girl.

_"Well,"_ Weiss figured, _"I might as well try to put my feelings for her into words. I owe her this, at the very least."_

"...Ruby, you never cease to amaze me. And I love you so much more than I can ever say. Meeting you was the single greatest thing that has ever happened to me, and I'm so sorry for being cold to you when we first met. Again, I love you, with all my heart. I love you for all the little things you do for me. I love for the way you never let me go, even when I myself am the one pushing you away. I love how you put me before yourself, even when I wish you wouldn't. I love everything about you, Ruby Rose, and I regret these last three months more than anything I've ever done. And I love it when you prove me wrong. So please, _keep proving me wrong_."

Weiss finished and took a deep breath, opening her eyes to see Ruby's reaction.

Ruby buried her head in Weiss' chest before she could see, and the white-haired girl could feel a wet sensation there. Ruby was... crying?

"...Ruby? Are you okay? I didn't upset you or anything, did I?"

Her partner looked up at her, droplets of water in the corners of her grey eyes.

"Nonono you didn't upset me Weiss, I just... no one has ever said anything like that about me before... my heart kind of feels like it's gonna explode, I mean it's weird and I wanna tell you about why and how much I love you, but if I tried to explain why I love you it would literally take days, and you'd probably rather just enjoy the silence, and that would be kind of awkward and oh gosh I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

Weiss nodded, a warm smile on her face.

"Hey Weiss?"

"Yes Ruby?" Weiss asked, as she used her thumbs to wipe away Ruby's tears.

"I know I've told you before, but I really like when you smile. It just makes you look even more beautiful, which shouldn't even be possible in the first place. I mean gosh, you're just so perfect and I can't figure out how you ever fell in love with someone like _me_, and why you-"

Weiss shut her up with a kiss, pressing her lips to Ruby's and tilting her head. As always, she savored just how warm and soft her partners lips were.

_"Sort of like fresh-baked cookies and roses..."_ she thought with a chuckle.

She pulled back, letting both of them catch their breaths. Weiss realized her heart was beating fairly quickly; kissing Ruby had somehow never gotten old. And she assumed her girlfriend felt the same way; she could practically feel Ruby's heart trying to push its way out of her chest.

"I'm sorry about what happened though Ruby, even if you don't blame me. I know how badly you always wanted to be a Huntress. I just feel... I feel really badly, about taking your dream away from you."

"Hey Weiss, wanna know something?"

"Um... yes?"

"_You're_ my new dream. I don't care what comes next, as long as I'm with you."

Weiss' cheeks flushed with warmth. Even though she knew Ruby had stolen that line from an old fairy tale, the words still rung true. She _knew_ that Ruby meant what she had just said.

"I... you're my dream too, I suppose. You're the only reason I'm still alive, and the only thing that gets me up in the morning. And I'll never let us be separated again, do you understand?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way princess," Ruby replied. She nuzzled her face into the crook of Weiss' neck, breathing in the scent of fresh snow and poinsettias. "So Weiss, how did you find Crescent Rose?"

"I'm still really tired actually. Do you think we could just... go back to sleep? And finish this conversation tomorrow?"

"Sure!" Ruby agreed. "I mean, that blizzard is still going on, so it's not like we could go anywhere if we wanted to. And I mean, I definitely wanna stay here with you a little longer. It's been a while since we had some alone time, huh?"

"It definitely has," Weiss said with a content sigh. "Thank you Ruby, for everything. But!"

She winced, there was always a but when it came to Weiss.

"Don't think I'll forget about you telling me why you love me! I poured my heart out to you; it's only fair that you reciprocate."

"Eh-heh, sure thing. I don't think it'll be too hard, but like I said it'll probably take a while. You won't mind, right?"

Weiss shook her head, and snuggled back into Ruby as tightly as she could manage.

_"It's funny,"_ Weiss thought. _"She's matured and grown so much, but deep down inside, she's still that same awkward girl, lost in the forest and asking me if I want to be her partner."_

"And the answer is yes," Weiss whispered.

"What was that Weiss?"

"Nothing Ruby, just remembering some of our time back at Beacon. Let's go back to sleep, I'm sure you're tired as well."

"Yeah, I really am."

Weiss couldn't keep a smile off of her face at this point, so she didn't even bother trying. Being with Ruby again felt so _right_, and she knew then that she didn't really need a home. After all, home is where the heart is right? Well, her heart was with Ruby. _Ruby was her home_. Wherever the red-clad Huntress went, she would too.

Basking in warmth and love, Weiss felt herself drifting off to sleep.

"Hey Weiss?" Ruby asked, a trace of nervousness in her voice.

The girl in question sighed, dragging her back into wakefulness.

"Yes, Ruby?" she asked groggily.

"Sorry but... Weiss, did you... did you stay with me while I was in that coma? The whole time?"

"...I did."

"...Thanks. It really means a lot to me... even now, it feels weird. An entire month of my life, gone, you know? I can't remember anything, and it scares me a little. I'll never get that month back."

Weiss started to feel bad; she still felt like she had been the cause of Ruby's trauma. Before she could though, Ruby soothed her worries, like always.

"Bu,t knowing that you were there next to me the _whole time_ just somehow makes it all okay. Even if I'll never get that month back, you were with me while I was sleeping. So really it was just a big nap! And any nap is great if I take it with you! So yeah, uh, thanks."

"Yes, a month-long nap where I worried over you constantly, you idiot."

"Oh come on Weiss, I'm here now, right? Just let me worry about everything and go back to sleep. I'll be _right_ here when you wake up. I loooove you..."

"I love you too," Weiss muttered, already in the grip of sleep. She put her head against Ruby's chest and snuggled closer, letting the sound of Ruby's gently beating heart guide her drifting ship of a mind into safe waters, out of the storm of despair and uncertainty it had been lost in for so long.

Ruby wrapped her arm around Weiss protectively, and after taking one last glance around the room to make sure nothing was amiss, let herself drift off as well. Weiss was safe in her arms. Where she was meant to be.

* * *

Ruby sneezed, and the involuntary action jolted her awake. There was something tickling the inside of her nose, and she scrunched it up and sniffed to try and get it out.

_"Ugh, great, some of Weiss' hair is in my nooose..."_

Apparently she had shifted in her sleep, and put her face in a mess of Weiss' silky white hair. Aaand then subsequently sucked some into her nose with her breathing.

Moving as gingerly as possibly, she removed her hand from where it was wrapped around Weiss' shoulders, and pulled the strands of hair from out of her nose.

_"Grooossss!"_

Fortunately for her, there wasn't any snot on it. If that were the case, she knew Weiss would have literally killed her.

Good. Weiss hadn't woken up yet. Now if she could just slip out of the sleeping bag and-

"You'd _better_ not be trying to get out of this sleeping bag Ruby..."

_"Crap."_

"Eh heh, I wouldn't dream of it! I was just... uuuh stoking the fire!"

"Ruby, it's been five years since we've met, and you are still the absolute _worst_ liar on the face of this planet."

"Heh heh..." Ruby sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck. "Well I mean, it is light outside, and we should probably be heading back soon..."

Weiss considered her point, and realized Ruby had the right idea.

"...You're right. When we get back, the first thing I'm doing is getting in the tub. I haven't had a warm bath in three months..."

"Yeah, that does sound really nice. Maybe..." Ruby added with a sly wink, "you'd like some company?"

Weiss turned over, away from Ruby to try and hide the huge blush spreading across her face. It _had_ been a while since she'd done anything... lewd with Ruby. And it was quite a tempting offer... Images of a naked Ruby half buried in soap suds, stretching an inviting finger towards her flashed through her mind.

A muffled "mmhmm," was her only reply.

"What was that Weissy? I didn't hear youuuu..."

Weiss whipped her head around to face Ruby, her cheeks flushed with warmth. "I-I said yes, okay! Now go make me breakfast or something... you dolt..."

"Ooh, we've only been together for a day and you're already demanding I cook you meals? I dunno Weiss, this relationship seems a little one-sided to me..."

Weiss looked at her in annoyance, her white hair strewn about in messy tangles.

_"Ooh, she's so cute when she's angry and her hair is everywhere!"_ Ruby thought with glee.

"Well I suppose I could... give you a good morning kiss, in return of course." Weiss muttered.

"I think that would be acceptable payment," Ruby chuckled as she leaned closer to the other girl, expecting a short kiss.

But then Weiss darted forward and smashed their lips together, surprising Ruby by reaching out her arms and wrapping them around her waist, pulling her backwards so that the taller girl was laying top of her. It was a semi-uncomfortable arrangement; Ruby was heavy, but after so long without the younger girl's touch, she couldn't bring herself to mind. Only when she felt like her lungs were going to explode, did she finally break the kiss.

"Mmmph, Weiss..." Ruby said she struggled to catch her breath. "That was really really really cute, but I can tell when you're stalling We _really_ should get going. I mean, unless you want to stay here forever or something."

Weiss sighed wistfully. "Actually, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea. But I keep thinking about that bath. And some real food too, not just these horrible berries I've had to survive on for the past three months. So yes, let's get up and head back."

Weiss gently pushed Ruby off of her and got up, tip-toeing over the cold floor and scooping up her clothes. She dressed herself quickly as Ruby did the same, trying to spend as little time exposed to the bitter air as possible. She finished, and popped the collar of her coat up, then glanced over at Ruby. Weiss had to admit, her partner looked a little strange with her left sleeve hanging empty.

The brunette walked over to Crescent Rose and ran her hand along it, a fond smile upon her face. She picked it up and slung it over her back, sighing at the feel of the familiar weight.

"Aww, I missed you too baby girl," Ruby murmured.

Weiss looked over at the pair, an annoyed expression of her face. That _damn_ scythe was always taking Ruby's attention away from her. Weiss stood up and sheathed Myrenaster at her side, reaching for the hunting rifle as well.

"You can still fire Crescent Rose one-handed as long as it's in its compact form, right?" she asked.

"Yea-p!" Ruby replied, popping the p. "So you might as well take the rifle. You _do_ know how to shoot a rifle, right?"

"Hmmph. As _if_ the former heiress of the Schnee Dust company wasn't properly instructed in all forms of combat. You underestimate me Ruby."

"Nonono, I'm not underestimating you at all, just checking ya know? If we run into Grimm on the way back, I just want to make sure you'll be safe..."

It occurred to Weiss that Ruby hadn't meant what she said in a condescending manner, and it made her feel horrible. Here she was, rescued by the woman she loved, and she was already snapping at her. She walked over to Ruby and pulled her into a close embrace.

"Alright, I'm sorry for snapping at you Ruby. I just haven't had much conversation these past few months. And if anything, I should be worried about you. You're the one with... well, you know."

Ruby pulled away slightly and looked the other girl in the eyes. "Weiss, it's okay. I don't blame you even one teensy-tiny bit. Just say it, okay? It'll be easier this way."

Weiss nodded hesitantly. "Alright... you're the one... missing an arm."

Ruby beamed a bright smile at her. "See? There you go, wasn't hard at all! Now let's get going, it's probably going to take us at _least_ a week to make it back to Vale."

"Ugh, don't remind me."

Ruby rolled up the sleeping bag and put it in her pack, while Weiss stomped out the remains of the fire.

"Ruby, what about that old guitar in the corner? Is that yours?"

Ruby looked surprised as she glanced over at the guitar, having forgotten about it.

"Huh? Oh, that old thing. I mean... I'd like to take it, I was playing it earlier and I don't want to just leave it here. I think it's probably lonely."

"Ruby, it's a guitar."

"Some things have feelings too Weiss! Crescent Rose, for instance. And I bet Myrenaster gets pretty sad when you're feeling down too."

"You really are still a child at heart," Weiss said with a sigh.

"Maybe, but you still love me!" Ruby countered, activating a medium-power puppy dog stare.

_"Curse that look,"_ Weiss thought with amusement.

"...That I do," the white-haired girl said. "Here, give me the guitar. I can strap it over my back."

"Ooh, thanks Weiss!"

The girl in question picked up the old guitar, and slung it over her shoulder.

"Anything for you," Weiss grumbled. "But you still owe me that bubble bath."

"Geeeez, how could I forget when you keep reminding me?"

Weiss looked around the empty room one last time and stepped out into the church proper. Already feeling the cold, she stuffed her hands into her coat pockets, and was surprised to find a bundle of cloth inside one.

_"Ugh, how could I forget! Ruby's cloak!"_

Weiss turned around just in time to catch Ruby stepping out of the vestry, and surprised her by holding out the folded red square to her.

"Is that... my cloak?" she asked.

"I'm sorry I didn't give it to you earlier Ruby. I... forgot I had it." Weiss gazed down at the floor, slightly embarrassed at having held on to the what was arguably the most important item in the world to Ruby. "Don't be mad, please?"

Ruby darted forward and embraced Weiss, pulling the cloak to her face over Weiss' shoulder and inhaling its scent, the one that was so familiar to her. The scent of her mother.

_Dew-covered red roses in the spring._

She drew back to look the white-haired girl in the eyes. "Don't be silly Weiss. I could never be mad at you, you know that. Thanks for saving this, I honestly thought it was just sitting somewhere in the snow," Ruby finished with a smile. Seeing that warm grin, Weiss felt the air around her grow a little less cold.

Ruby fanned out the cloak, and whipped it around herself, swiftly clicking the clasp into place around her neck in one smooth motion. Rose petals fluttered down in its wake. Weiss stood there, mouth agape. She was mesmerized by the action, smooth and flawless as it was, even with only one arm.

Ruby just smiled at her and held out her hand, and Weiss slipped her own into it. Even though it was a simple gesture, it meant everything to her. A constant, solid reminder that Ruby was right next to her.

"Now come on," Ruby said. "Let's go home."

_Home... a warm fire, hot chocolate, the scent of roses. Fluffy sheets, sincere smiles, holding eachother close._

"Yes," Weiss repeated. "Let's go home."

Ruby pulled Weiss out of the church, into the white, cold wasteland beyond.

* * *

3 Days Later

Two figures shuffled through the snow side by side, one draped in crimson and the other bedecked in ivory. Abruptly, they stopped.

"Ruby? What did you stop for?" Weiss asked, a look of confusion on her face.

"Oh, just this spot is perfect, is all."

"...Perfect for what?"

"Just look around Princess."

The moniker used to irritate her, but over the years it had become a term of endearment, at least when coming from Ruby. So Weiss tolerated it, but only from her.

The girl in white turned and looked around, examining their surroundings. They were in the middle of a nicely sized clearing, snow-covered pines on all sides. The snow at their feet was light and fluffy, but also solid in places. It seemed to clump together easily.

_"Wait, clump together easily?"_ Weiss thought with alarm. _"That means-!"_

She whipped around, just in time to get hit in the face with a large ball of snow.

She stood stock still, one arm at her side with clenched first, while the other reached up slowly, and wiped the snow off of her face.

"Ruby Rose."

"Uuuh... t-that's me..." Ruby replied meekly, doing her best to hide behind one of the few trees in the clearing.

"You. Are a dead woman."

"Oh come on Weiss! I only have one arm! That's no fair! You wouldn't fight a girl with only one arm!"

"You should have thought of _that_," Weiss spat the word, "before you threw the snowball." She drew herself up to her full height, which wasn't much. All the same, she managed to strike quite an intimidating figure. "I shall have no mercy upon thy wretched soul! Prepare for death, wench!"

Ruby shrieked and hid behind the tree, as a snowball whizzed by the spot her face had occupied with near-supersonic speed. Weiss had anticipated the defensive move however, and had flung herself to the right, launching another snowball that struck Ruby squarely in the chest, knocking the wind out of her.

As she fell backwards in slow-motion, Ruby found herself wondering just how on earth Weiss managed to build and fling snowballs so quickly. She was like a _machine_. Ruby remembered Weiss' first snowball fight during their third year of Beacon, when she had finally convinced the older girl to let loose in the snow. The result had been unforeseen, the consequences: disastrous. Weiss became a snowball fighting monster, and Ruby had been betting on the assumption that Weiss would not fight her while she only had one arm. To her grim misfortune, she had been wrong. _Dead wrong_.

Ruby recovered quickly, rolling backwards and flipping up onto her feet, just in time to dodge another barrage of buzzing snowballs. She ducked left, running for cover while scooping up a handful of snow with her only hand. Packing it with her fingers as best she was able, she spun and drew her arm back to aim at Weiss, and time seemed to stop. In horrifyingly slow motion, she saw Weiss' hardened gaze lock onto the snowball Ruby was holding, and release the snowball of her own that she had already prepared. Ruby looked on in sheer terror, helpless to do anything but watch as Weiss' snowball flew forwards, knocking Ruby's out of her hand _before she even had a chance to throw it_.

Ruby looked back at Weiss, only to see her vision filled with a growing mass of white. A snowball, heading directly for her face. Ruby knew the hit would be devastating.

That is, if she allowed it to hit her in the first place...

Still in slow motion, she activated her semblance, and disappeared in a flurry of rose petals. Weiss' head-smashing snowball flew through empty air, snapping a tree branch with its sheer force. Ruby knew her aura would protect from the worst of such a blow, but still, wasn't that overkill? Well then, time to end the fight before things could grow out of hand. Ruby appeared and disappeared in half a dozen places all around Weiss, to try and throw off her situational awareness. The older girl whirled around, trying to track Ruby as she moved. Ruby saw her opportunity, and she phased in behind Weiss, wrapping her arm around both of Weiss' and trapping them behind her back. She might only have one arm, but it was strong enough for both of the older girl's.

Alas, she had miscalculated.

_"Alright Ruby, you want to use semblances? Two can play at that game..."_

Ruby heard a distinct crackling noise, one she had heard hundreds of times while fighting at Weiss' side. She knew what it entailed. Weiss had pulled her arms hard into her back, trapping Ruby's arm against them. The younger girl twisted to escape, but she wasn't nearly fast enough. Weiss let go and spun around, gazing upon her work.

Ruby stood frozen from the waist down, and her only arm was also trapped in a pillar of ice that connected to the ground.

Weiss stood up straight, brushing herself off and straightening her posture.

_"Even after everything, she's still a Schnee at heart..."_ Ruby thought with fondness.

"Hmmph. You should know better than to challenge a Schnee on their own turf Ruby. We own the north, remember? The snow is my natural habitat, my _Arx Castellanus_, if you will." As she spoke, the snow fell gently down around Weiss, lightly coating her figure and lending her an air of regality. She could have been a Queen, in another age.

_"Queen Schnee, huh?"_ Ruby thought.

"Ruby! Are you even listening to me!"

"Huu-oh yeah! I was totally listening to everything you were saying! You were talking about your... axe castle..."

"Seriously? You are absolutely insufferable. Well, you leave me only one course of action. It's time for your punishment."

Ruby suddenly realized how vulnerable she was, unable to mover her arms or legs while encased in a block of ice. She struggled, but the ice was rock-solid and didn't budge a centimeter.

Weiss slowly walked closer to her, an expression of disdain upon her face. In her right hand, she held a tightly-packed snowball, and it had Ruby's name all over it.

The younger girl cringed and shrank back as much as she was able, but it wasn't enough. Weiss stood directly in front of her and stared into Ruby's eyes, her own ablaze with a burning white flame. She raised her arm to throw.

And then Weiss did something completely unexpected. She dropped the snowball, reached out her hands and cupped Ruby's cheeks, and pulled her into a passionate kiss as the snow fell around them.

It was the last possibility in Ruby's mind, but she would certainly not complain about her "punishment." The only bad part was that she wasn't able to move her body and embrace Weiss; the older girl completely dominated her. The white-haired girl forced her tongue into Ruby's mouth, twisting and exploring as if for the first time. Ruby complied, whimpering helplessly as she succumbed to Weiss' demands.

After almost a full minute, Weiss broke away, her cheeks flush with warmth. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and looked down at the ground in embarrassment, but flicked her fingers, dissolving the ice keeping Ruby captive.

The younger girl caught herself before she fell, and after brushing herself off, walked towards Weiss with a questioning look on her face.

"Hey Weiss?"

A simple nod was her only reply.

"Not that I didn't like that or anything, but... why?"

Weiss finally found the courage to look back at Ruby, but her face was still a bright red.

"I guess... I mean I haven't been able to kiss you for three months, and now I just can't help myself. I just get these cravings for your... warmth, I guess."

Ruby gently took Weiss' hands in her own, gazing down into the white-haired girls eyes.

"Weiss, listen, if you want me, you just have to ask. You don't have to capture me, or anything crazy like that. If you ever need me, I'm right here. I'll always be right here."

"T-thanks Ruby..." Weiss muttered, squeezing the brunette's hand tighter with her own.

_"Ooooh, she's so darn cute when she gets all flustered!"_ Ruby thought. _"My little Weissy..."_

Ruby pulled the older girl into a tight embrace, wrapping her red cape around the both of them. The air between them quickly grew warm, but in an extremely pleasant way. Weiss lifted her head slightly and rested it on Ruby's shoulder, wrapping her arms around the brunette's waist. Ruby rested her own head on top of Weiss'.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, in the falling snow. Warm and content, simply enjoying the feeling of loving someone, and knowing they loved you in return.

Eventually, they both pulled apart simultaneously, both seemingly ready to go on.

"Ready to go?" asked Ruby.

"Mmhmm," Weiss replied with a nod.

"Alright. But uh, no more snowball fights, alright?"

"You say that like it's _my_ fault, you dunce. _You_ started that one."

"I love you Weiss."

"R-Really? Now, of all times? You are _such_ a dork..."

But after a few seconds of walking, Ruby heard Weiss whisper back.

_"_But I love you too..._"_

* * *

2 Days Later

Bright embers lazily floated into the sky, disappearing into the cold air. Ruby and Weiss found themselves on the side of a vast mountain as the sun had started to fall, and they had decided to take refuge in a stand of clustered pine trees. Night in the Tural mountains dropped the temperature to well below freezing, and neither wanted to risk groping around in the dark. The ground leveled out for roughly a dozen feet, providing them their own miniature clifftop, with an incredible view of the surrounding mountains. Conveniently, it also provided them with a flat open spot to make a fire.

"It's beautiful," murmured Weiss. The sun was shining its last rays onto the vast mountain range before them, seemingly setting the trees ablaze in a coat of burning orange. The sky was a deep purple, mixed with dark blues and reds. Magnificent desolation.

Sighing contentedly, she leaned back into Ruby's chest, feeling the younger girls warmth envelop her. She was sitting in Ruby's lap, legs pulled to her chest, her partners single arm wrapped around her them in a protective embrace. Ruby herself was leaning back against a tree, and had her own legs spread around Weiss'. Ruby's warm red cloak covered the both of them, Weiss' ivory hair splayed out upon it like rivers of silver in a desert of crimson.

"Yeah, Ruby agreed, resting her chin on Weiss' shoulder. "It really is. You don't get to see stuff like this often, ya know? And the coolest part is, we're probably the only ones looking at this right now. Just you and me."

Weiss smiled in response, bringing Ruby's remaining hand to her lips and kissing it gently. She slipped one of her free hands into her partners and began to rub small circles into it with her thumb. The simple motion, and the certainty that Ruby was with her, helped to ease some of her worries. Worries that she didn't want to bother Ruby with.

_"Things will work out on their own,"_ she told herself.

But as the silence stretched on, Ruby quickly noticed Weiss' uneasiness. Even from their early years at Beacon, Ruby had always been able to pick up on the former heiress' moods.

"What's bothering you?"

Weiss sighed; she should have known her worries wouldn't just slip past Ruby. And she knew that her partner would not relent until she had her answer.

"It's just... the issue of your sister, I suppose. I worry how she's going to handle seeing us... together."

Ruby's expression turned serious. "You know what? I honestly don't give a _crap_ what she thinks about us. What she did was wrong, and there's no excuse for it. She may be my sister, but that doesn't just give her a free pass to be a complete asshole to you."

"R-Ruby... you just cussed..."

"Huh? Oh... I guess I did, uh sorry?"

"No it's just... I don't think I've ever heard you use foul language before. You feel that strongly about Yang?"

Ruby grimaced. "Let's just say it's not gonna be all sunshine and butterflies the next time I see her. Oh I'll forgive her, one day, but it's gonna take a while."

Weiss looked down in uncertainty, biting her lower lip. "Ruby, I just don't want you to become enemies with your sister solely because of me."

"Sheesh Weiss, relax! She's not gonna become my nemesis or anything. But I think I'll create some space between us. Give us some time to think and all. She's still my sister, and I'd never completely stop talking to her. But before any of that happens, she's gonna apologize to you."

"Ruby, it's not-"

"Yes it is. It might not be that big of a deal to you, but it is to _me_. She's not gonna get away with treating you like that. No big sister of mine is gonna be a jerk to Weiss Schnee."

"...Alright. If that's what you want to do, I'll be right there with you. She's going to have to drag my dead body off of you if she wants to separate us this time."

"Yeesh Weiss, a little morbid, dont'cha think?" Ruby tilted her head and softly kissed Weiss' forehead, then her cheek, then her lips. "We'll be home in about three days. Everything is gonna be fine Princess."

Weiss sighed, losing herself in Ruby's tender affections, as the sun dipped down below the horizon.

3 Days Later

* * *

Rain fell in torrents, misting the sidewalk and road, running in rivers down the side of it to fall into gaping drainage ditches. Street lamps fizzled and glowed, struggling to bring some semblance of light to the empty streets. The sun had fallen long ago, and it had been raining for the past few hours.

Only two figures walked down the road at this time of night, a girl in a red cloak and another in a white one, both thoroughly drenched and shivering from the cold.

"S-so Weiss," Ruby asked as her teeth chattered. "Y-you ready to get h-home f-finally?"

"R-Ruby, I don't think I-I've ever b-been more r-ready to get h-home in my _l-life_."

They hurried down the sidewalk as quickly as they could, hugging themselves and trying to keep their hair out of their eyes. Another strand of drenched white hair, gray with moisture, flopped down onto Weiss' forehead. She growled in irritation as it created a miniature stream of water down her face. She reached up and angrily brushed it away.

Luckily, they only had about a block left to go before they reached their small two-story home, the one they had bought together upon graduating Beacon. Weiss could still picture it in her mind, the deep red walls and cozy porch, the pointed brown roof, the backyard with Ruby's rose garden. The surprisingly spacious kitchen; an absolute necessity. The cozy living room, their favorite brown leather couch cushy and inviting, facing the stone fireplace. The small stairwell that led to the second floor, the office where they kept their paperwork and figured out their finances, and finally their bedroom.

Weiss smiled, remembering it as if she had just seen it yesterday. The walls were painted a deep green, like the heart of a forest. The carpet was a warm brown, and the ceiling was painted the dark blue of a night sky. The woodland theme was no accident. The bedsheets were a pure white, as were the blankets. Weiss had chosen those. The pillows, however, were light crimson, the color of roses in the summer. Those of course, has been Ruby's choice. It somehow fit perfectly though, the colors reminiscent of a frosted garden of white and red roses.

At that moment in time, Weiss wanted nothing more than to snuggle up with Ruby in those warm sheets.

And there it was, at last. As their house came in to view, she had to suppress the urge to sprint towards it. Glancing at Ruby, she could tell the younger girl felt the same way.

Alas, fate had other plans.

A figure in a dark hoodie and jeans was stumbling around in front of their house, holding a bottle, clearly quite intoxicated.

Ruby halted and reached her arm out, holding Weiss back as well.

"Hold on Weiss... let's see what this guy does..."

The man stumbled around aimlessly, but for some reason stayed in their front yard. Bracing himself against the front column of their porch, he lifted the bottle to his lips, and cried out in rage when nothing came out.

Something occurred to Ruby, and she froze.

"Weiss... was it just me... or was that a Yang yell..."

"I... dust Ruby, I think you're right..."

As if to confirm their suspicions, the figure reached their arm back, and chucked the bottle down the street, where it smashed into fragments with a loud crash. In the act of the throwing however, their hood fell off.

Revealing a mane of drenched, yet somehow still brilliant golden hair.

"RUUBBYYY!" Yang screeched at the uncaring sky. "Whyyy the fuck didja leave!? ***hic*** Why wont'cha come back, huuuh?" She stumbled backwards, barely catching herself on a lamp post before she could pitch headfirst into the street.

"Weiss, wait here," Ruby said, using the most serious tone of voice Weiss could ever remember her using.

The older girl looked at her in surprise, but she saw how grim and determined Ruby looked. She had that little crease in her forehead, the one she wore when she was absolutely serious about something. Weiss didn't even bother trying to stop her, once Ruby got an idea firmly entrenched in her head, there was no convincing her otherwise.

Ruby took a deep breath, and then began walking purposefully towards Yang. Before she got two feet though, Weiss shot her arm out and caught the edge of Ruby's empty sleeve.

Ruby turned to see Weiss with her head hung low, rain dripping from her hair.

"Just... just be gentle, please? I know she loves you, almost as much as I do. So don't hurt her Ruby. No one deserves to feel the pain that I have these past few months..."

A plea of mercy from Weiss was the last thing that Ruby had expected, but the older girls words rang true.

"...I won't Weiss. Don't worry, but just let me do this."

Ruby walked away, Weiss' arm hanging in the air where she had let go of Ruby's sleeve. Slowly, she let it drop back to her side.

Ruby strode towards Yang, the blonde noticing her at the last second and bringing up her fists as best she was able. Which wasn't all that intimidating, given how sloppy and hesitant her movements were.

"Huuh? Who the hell'r yyyou?"

Ruby marched straight up to her, and slapped her in the face, _hard. _Yang was completely unprepared, and she fell backwards onto the rain-soaked grass.

"Get up."

Yang struggled to stand, spitting curses as she got to her feet. "You're fucking dead, you ***hic*** fucking piece of goddamn shit, I'm gonna fucking ***hic*** rip off your..."

She froze, face to face with Ruby. The brunette's expression was cold, narrowed eyes and a mean scowl.

"Are you kidding me Yang? First you drive Weiss out, then you show up at my house in the dead of night, drunk off your ass? Do you have anything to say for yourself?!"

Yang reached out her hand slowly, as if to touch Ruby to assure herself that she was real.

"R-Ruby? Is that y-you?"

"Yes Yang, it's really me. I brought back Weiss too," she said as she gestured to the white-haired girl. "No thanks to you. Now If you think everything's gonna be just fine and dandy, after what you did to Weiss, after all the _pain_ you put her through, you're wrong. You'd better start explaining yourself, _now_."

Ruby expected Yang to object, or shout at her, or try to fight her, or do anything a drunken Yang would do. Instead though, she simply sank to her knees, as if she had lost the will to stand. She feebly clutched at the edge of Ruby's cloak, and tears began to pour down her face, mixing with the rain and her soaked golden hair.

"R-Ruby, I'm s-sorry, I'm s-so sorry, I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry," the words continued to tumble out, over and over. Ruby was shocked, and she stared at Yang in disbelief. She was... apologizing?

Ruby hesitantly reached down, resting her hand on Yang's shoulder, as the blonde knelt in the grass. She had had an entire speech prepared, arguments and counter-arguments ready to go, but Yang's actions had rendered her mute.

Just then, a yellow motorcycle screeched around the distant corner of the street, speeding towards them and skidding to a halt. The driver wore a black leather jacket, and they let the bike fall to the ground as they sprinted towards Ruby and Yang. They tossed the helmet aside, revealing wavy black hair, already wet.

"Blake!" Ruby gasped.

The faunus ran up to them, dropping to her knees besides Yang and pulling her into a protective embrace. She held it for a few seconds, then looked up at Ruby and smiled gently.

"Hi Ruby. I missed you."

"I missed you too. Is... is she gonna be okay?"

Blake looked down at her charge, who was sobbing into the faunus' chest, repeating the words "I'm sorry" over and over.

"I think she will... but not right you know she came by your house every night for the past month, checking to see if you were home? She was so worried about you. Honestly, I think she believed you were dead. Normally I just let her go on her own, but she started to get worse and worse. I told her she should stop going, and she freaked out on me and ran off. I'm just glad I thought to come here."

"I... I had no idea. Now I feel horrible... Damn it Yang," Ruby said with a clenched fist. Why did you have to do this!? You hurt everyone, you realize! You hurt Weiss, me, yourself, even Blake! I can't imagine how she must have felt with you worrying so much about me! I can take care of myself you know!"

Yang sniffed, wiping her tears away with her hand, and then spoke in a small, timid voice.

"But you're still, my little s-sister..."

Ruby couldn't find the words she needed. She wanted to be angry, to yell, to let out her frustration, but she couldn't. Yang sounded so broken, she couldn't just stand there and watch. So she simply knelt down besides Blake and wrapped her remaining arm around Yang. She squeezed lightly, letting her sister know with the brief contact that she still cared about her. Even so, she made it short. She pulled back and stood up.

"And you're still my older sister Yang. I'm not gonna cut you off. But you need to give me and Weiss some space. She probably won't be comfortable around you for a long time. You're gonna need to give us some time to fix this, to forgive you. So please, just go. Blake, can you get her home?"

The raven-haired girl nodded, lifting Yang up and placing the blonde's arm over her shoulder. Yang didn't try to resist.

"Cmon Yang, let's go home. You can talk to Ruby later."

Blake walked Yang over towards Bumblebee, which was still lying on the ground where she had left it. Yang stumbled along beside her, trusting Blake to take her home. She had had enough for one night.

Before she was out of earshot, Blake turned her head back towards Ruby and smiled, talking in her usual flat tone of voice.

"Thanks for not doing anything drastic Ruby. It's good to know you're alive though. Have a good night."

"Goodnight Blake. Take care of her, okay?"

"Don't worry about us, we'll be fine. Worry about your girlfriend over there. Seeya." Blake picked up the motorcycle and revved it up, placing Yang on the seat behind her, making sure the blonde kept a tight grip on her waist.

Ruby watched them go, the bike leaving a mist behind them as Bumblebee sped off into the night. Weiss stepped up next to her, slipping her pale hand into the only one Ruby had left. The younger girl closed her eyes and sighed, long and slow.

"That was... harder than I thought it would be. I didn't actually expect her to be sorry for what she had done."

"I told you Ruby, she missed you. Like I said before, no one should have to go through the pain of being without someone they love. I know you've had... experience with that as well. Promise me you'll talk to her soon?"

"Yeesh Weiss, it's crazy hearing this come from you. You're the last one I'd expect to be nice to her." Ruby hung her head, thinking. "But you're right. I'll talk to her in a few days. And that'll give us some alone time too."

"Yeah. It will. Come on, let's go inside."

Ruby looked up, watching the rain fall down from the uncaring heavens. "Okay."

* * *

Ruby hummed excitedly, as she laid down on the brown leather couch and dragged Weiss with her. They shifted for a few seconds, getting comfortable. They had both showered and changed into warm, dry clothes. There was a fire in the fireplace, and it was the only source of light in the dark house. It crackled and popped, the sound somehow soothing.

Ruby pulled Weiss closer to her, her chest pressed to the older girl's back. Weiss leaned backwards, resting her head in the crook of Ruby's neck, a content smile on her face.

"Hey Weiss. Guess what."

"Hmm?"

"We're home."

_Home._

They truly were, Weiss realized. She felt a warm glow inside her, and her heart felt so full she didn't know if it was going to burst or not. She had dreamed of this moment, deep in the night, cold and alone in the mountains. And even though she had woken up every morning missing Ruby more than she thought it was possible for one person to long for another, she had never dared to allow herself to hope for those dreams to come true.

And yet, here they were. Snuggled together by a warm fireplace, safe and sound in their home.

_Home._

And yet, Weiss realized, the house wasn't what made her feel these indescribable feelings she was experiencing. As nice as it was, something else was filling her with warmth and love.

_Ruby._

That courageous, stubborn, sincere woman. The woman who Weiss loved, the woman who Weiss was proud to call her partner. The woman who rescued her from herself. They had grown so much since their days at Beacon. Weiss remembered the first full sentence she had spoken to the girl.

_"What are you doing?!"_

_"Uh... sorry?"_

_"Sorry!? Do you have any idea the damage you could have caused? What are you, brain-dead?"_

Yet here she was with that same clumsy little girl, holding her close with every fragment of her being. How things had changed. And how yet, how they had remained the same. Ruby was just as caring as ever, just as patient and kind with Weiss as she had been at Beacon. If anyone had changed, Weiss reflected, it was her. Ruby had shown her how to live, how to open up, how to have fun, how to love. She was incredibly grateful for Ruby, for the extraordinary girl who had stumbled her way into her life and changed it forever.

Before, she had been the heiress of one of the most powerful companies in the world. She had had power, wealth, fame, anything she wanted at the snap of a finger. Now, she only had a small house, and Ruby. And she wouldn't trade it for the world.

"Whatcha thinking about Weiss?"

"You," Weiss replied with a smile.

Ruby tilted the older girl's head, kissing her slowly. After being alone for so long, Weiss finally felt whole again. In Ruby's strong, protective embrace, she felt safe. Safe, warm, and loved. Her shattered heart was rebuilding itself; Ruby was picking up the fragments and stitching them together piece by piece.

_Ruby._

_Home. _

They were one and the same now.

"By the way, don't think I've forgotten about you telling me why you love me, and I _definitely_ haven't forgotten about that hot bath."

"Eh heh, right... do you mind if we do all that when we wake up? I'm kinda comfortable..."

Weiss flicked Ruby's forehead lightly, earning an exaggerated gasp of pain from the younger girl. She started to say something, but before she could, Weiss leaned up and kissed her passionately.

"Dolt."

* * *

_**And so ends my first ever complete story. Also, this marks the first time I've written the entirety of Team RWBY together. I've had a great time writing this, and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did. And don't worry, I'm not anywhere near done writing Whiterose. It occurred to me that I should flesh out this little AU that I've come up with, and so I'll be writing a story about how Weiss and Ruby fall in love during their third year at Beacon. After that, I'll be writing a big adventure about how Team RWBY tracks down and kills the Grimm Lord. Of course I'll writing more of The White Nebula too. **_

_**If you liked it, didn't like it, or just want to say something, please leave a review. Reading them is my favorite part of this whole writing thing. **_

_**-Talos**_

_**Edit: I'm super wasted right now, drunk off my ass, and all I can do is look at pictures of Ruby and Weiss being together. All I can do is ship my OTP when I'm drunk, which is when your real feelings and emotions come out. Whiterose has been solidified into my heart, and I can honestly say I will ship it until the day I die. Even if I never find love, they will. I'll write them so well that they'll come to life, and be together. That is all.  
**_


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